AFC Totton begin life after departed boss Steve Hollick with a 1-1 draw against Yate Town

With Hollick leaving the manager’s post by mutual consent in the wake of Tuesday’s horrific 6-1 mauling by Wimborne Town, it was his assistant Andy Darnton who took caretaker charge.

And considering the upheaval that had gone before it, Straker was reasonably satisfied with Totton’s response as they climbed out of the bottom two.

The Stags got the lift they needed five minutes before the break when Nick Watts cleverly played in Nathaniel Sherborne, whose shot trickled into the far bottom corner for 1-0.

Steve Mowthorpe's fingertip save kept Totton ahead at the break and Darnton’s half-time team talk seemed to work wonders as the Stags started the second half with the same level of intensity.

But they were caught on the counter when Yate broke quickly from a Totton corner on 58 minutes and Mitch Tippins side-footed past the diving Mowthorpe for 1-1.

The Stags then sustained two injuries with defender Jack Vallis requiring stitches after a clash of heads and recent signing Ashley Jarvis hobbling off with a suspected hamstring problem.

Even so, they almost won it on the stroke of full-time when Watts rattled the crossbar.

“First half we were really good,” said Straker. “We struggled slightly second half when Yate changed it, but I don’t think anyone would have complained had we won.

“It was a good performance considering what had happened on Tuesday. We looked a far better side today and I’m very happy with the effort the players gave. They worked hard.”

Applications for the vacant manager’s post are already well into double figures.

“We’ll draw up a short-list and take it from there,” said Straker.

“We’d like to have someone in by Saturday but that may be too soon with the number of people who’ve shown an interest. By the following week, we should have our new manager.”

Totton host Winchester City on Tuesday (7.45pm) in the Southern League Challenge Cup first round.