AFC TOTTON’S mini-revival faltered with a 3-0 defeat at second-placed Cinderford in the Southern One South & West.

Having got their season motoring with back-to-back wins over Yate and Bridgwater, the Stags simply didn’t do enough to get under the skin of their high-flying hosts.

Blaming a poor first-half performance, manager Steve Hollick admitted: “For the first 45 minutes we were below par and the lads know that.

“We went 1-0 down and then Cinderford scored right on half-time. This is a really unforgiving league and going in 2-0 down meant we faced an uphill task after that.

“The second-half was more like us and we pressed them a bit, but, as the cliché goes, the next goal was critical and we just couldn’t get it “Cinderford are a tough nut to crack and they went on to get a third. They were good value for it.”

Josh Nelmes poked Cinderford in front amid a scramble from a corner and it go worse for Totton on the stroke of half-time when Joe Turley rifled home.

The Stags raised their game after the break, but their best chance went begging when Cinderford 'keeper Alex Harris used his feet to deny Craig Feeney one-on-one.

Twelve minutes from time the visitors were put out of their misery when Lee Smith embarked on a fine solo run and fired low past Steve Mowthorpe into the far corner.

Mowthorpe then came to the rescue with smart stops from Keiran Thomas and sub Lewis Fletcher and, in between, Totton’s 16-year-old debutant Matt Brewer flicked the ball into the path of Nathaniel Sherborne fired inches wide.

Next up for the Stags is a New Forest derby at home to rock-bottom Bashley on (Tuesday, 7.45pm). Bash, managed by Hollick’s Totton predecessor Steve Riley, have yet to bank their first point.