LOUIS Langdown praised his tenacious AFC Totton team for a job well done at Bideford yesteday.

With no recognised central defender in their squad, the Stags travelled to north Devon with a plan to dig in and frustrate their top-half hosts.

And it was very much mission accomplished as they came away with a satisfying 0-0 draw to pull five points clear of second-to-bottom Wantage in the Southern One South & West.

“It was a very good point,” reflected Langdown. “We did what we wanted to do. We frustrated Bideford, dug in, made our tackles and put bodies on the line.

“Wantage were playing (runaway league leaders) Hereford and although they only lost 1-0, we knew that if we could get anything out of the Bideford game it would be a bonus.

“We had no centre-halves, so we had left-back Ian Oliver and striker Dave Allen playing there, with (player-assistant manager) Adam Wilde and 17-year-old AFC Bournemouth lad Connor York at full-back.

“Ian and Dave were excellent. Considering the size of the Bideford players and the threat they posed throwing the ball into our box, they were admirable.

“Willo (midfielder Neil Williams) arrived coughing and spluttering with flu, but he got through 90 minutes. These are proper men prepared to stand up and be counted.

“That’s three games unbeaten for us now, which hasn’t happened all year. It’s a turnaround of sorts and we’re happy with that.”

With six minutes to go Totton’s on-loan Havant & Waterlooville goalkeeper Charlie Searle stretched out an arm to turn a sweet Billy Tucker strike around the post and the lively Tucker went closer still in stoppage time when his curling free-kick hit the post.

But Totton might also have nicked it late when another Havant loanee Marley Ridge drew a save from 18 yards when he might have done better to slip Nathaniel Sherborne in.

“Bideford are a good side chasing the play-offs and it was a blood and thunder performance from us with plenty of guts and effort,” summed up Langdown.

Totton will hope for more of the same at home to Taunton Town on Tuesday (7.45pm).