LOUIS Langdown needs to see more cutting edge from his third-to-bottom AFC Totton side if they are to widen the seven-point gap between themselves and the Southern One South & West drop zone.

While several of the league’s top strikers have already broken the 20- goal barrier, Totton’s leading marksman is Mike Gosney with eight.

Fellow wideman Nick Watts has seven and the best of the rest is Dave Allen – currently playing as a makeshift centre-back – with five.

“We’re lacking a bit of quality in the final third and that’s hurting us,” said Langdown in the wake of Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by Winchester City.

“We’re still on eight and seven as our top scorers and that’s not good enough for this league, I’m afraid. We need to be better.”

Club stalwart Nathaniel Sherborne got on the scoresheet on Monday and, given the right service, has the potential to get many more.

“Sherbs put in a great shift for us.

"He does a lot of hard work and a lot of running,” said Langdown.

“It’s good for him to find the back of the net. But it would be better if he had more service – he’d score more goals.”

Watts sat out Monday’s match as an unused sub to rest a niggling injury.

“He’s had a hamstring issue which he’s been carrying for a while,” Langdown reported. “When you’re not fit, it’s difficult to keep putting the shirt on, so I took the opportunity to leave him out.”

Despite the scoreline, Totton competed well against in-form Winchester and City boss Ian Saunders had words of encouragement for his opposite number Langdown.

He said: “We put in a real good shift today – as did the Totton lads.

“I’m sure Louis will be disappointed with the result, but if his boys put in that sort of shift for him every week, they will win more games than they lose. They’ve got some good players and I’m sure they’ll have no issues.”

Totton could hardly face a bigger test on Saturday, away to a red-hot Taunton Town side who have reeled off eight straight league wins.