TWO-GOAL Mike Gosney clinched AFC Totton a massively important 2-1 victory in the Southern One South & West basement battle against Bridgwater Town this afternoon.

Having given the Stags the lead at the start of the second half, 'the wizard of Gos' popped up again with a priceless stoppage-time winner after Callum Laird had pulled the visitors back on terms at the Testwood Stadium.

There was little to choose early on between two teams struggling for form and confidence near the foot of the table. Totton survived some messy moments at the back, restricting the visitors to a couple of shots straight at keeper Steve Mowthorpe – the first by Syd Camper and the second from dual-registered Eastleigh youngster Ollie Griggs.

For Totton, Dan Munday sent two early efforts wide and Bridgwater keeper Dan Jackson had to be quick off the mark to get across and thwart Nick Watts.

But there continued to be worrying lapses in the Stags’ defence – not least when they were opened up by neat interplay between Jake Horsey and Harry Horton. The latter went down under Liam Hibberd’s challenge but referee Lee Rutter waved away the visitors’ penalty appeal.

Bridgwater, without an away league win all season, seemed encouraged by their start and the lively Griggs wasn’t too far off-target with a bold 30-yard strike.

Confidence got the better of the young Spitfire seconds later, however, when he was dispossessed by Totton defender Pat Wilson.

Wilson played in Dave Allen wide left but, with no options open to him, the Stags’ No 10 was swiftly shut down and a potentially decent situation was wasted.

Gosney then embarked on a rampaging run from his own half only to fire straight at Jackson before, down at the other end, home skipper Hibberd was called upon to clear Horsey’s header off the line.

The best move of the half by far arrived on 39 minutes when Allen and Gosney combined to set up Totton’s Nick Watts, but gasps of expectation turned to sighs of disbelief as he ballooned the ball way over at full stretch.

The last chance of the half fell to Horsey of Bridgwater but, while getting plenty of power behind a free header from Horton’s cross, he sent it straight at Mowthorpe.

Half-time: AFC Totton 0 Bridgwater Town 0 Whatever Totton’s caretaker boss Andy Darnton said at half-time appeared to do the trick as the Stahs seized the lead with just two second-half minutes gone.

Munday stroked the ball into the path of GOSNEY on the left of the area and he beat Jackson with a sweet strike into the bottom corner for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Gosney almost had another on 55 minutes when he caught Callum Laird dawdling on the ball on the edge of the six-yard box but shot over from an acute angle.

Three minutes later Bridgwater’s Tyne Govier played the ball into Horsey’s path and he too had a tight angle to work with, firing beyond the far post.

Top-notch saves followed at either end with Jackson turning away Munday’s goal-bound effort for Totton and Mowthorpe raising a strong arm to push Ben Palmer’s 18-yard blast over the bar.

Mowthorpe then had to cut out Camper’s shot after Bridgwater had too easily carved through Totton's ball-watching back line.

It was soon the visitors’ turn to stand like statues as Gosney picked out Allen totally unmarked, but he somehow planted his free header wide at the back post.

All the time it remained 1-0, Totton’s grip on the game was fragile and, with eight minutes of normal time left, their lead evaporated.

Horton unleashed a thunderbolt strike from the edge of the box which Mowthorpe spilled and LAIRD reacted sharpest to bury the loose ball.

Watts twice had major opportunities to re-establish the Stags’ lead, but he drilled one dream chance wide and narrowly failed to lob Jackson on the second occasion.

Hibberd then fired over from distance and, just when it looked as if a second Totton goal would never arrive,the long-serving Gosney popped-up with a precious winner in the third minute of stoppage time.

Sub Ashley Jarvis picked out Watts on the right of the area and this time the No 7 squared for the on-rushing GOSNEY to poke the ball over the line.

Gosney even managed to get in a vital block to deny Laird another equaliser at the other end.

The game ended in unseemly fashion as the two sets of players squared up to each other after Bridgwater keeper Jackson, who had gone up for a set-piece, took the legs from under Jarvis.

AFC Totton: Steve Mowthorpe, Liam Hibberd, Ian Oliver, Pat Wilson, Jack Vallis, Neil Williams, Nick Watts, Charlie Gunson, Dan Munday, Dave Allen (Ashley Jarvis, 85), Mike Gosney. Subs (not used): Declan McCarthy, Calum Hellyar, Mitchell Hunt, Dylan Knight.

Referee: Lee Rutter, Attendance: 226