AFC TOTTON 1 BARNSTAPLE TOWN 1

A 239 crowd could not have asked for better entertainment to warm up a bleak, chilly January afternoon at the Testwood Stadium.

But, alas for AFC Totton, they had to content themselves with a 1-1 Southern One South & West basement draw against Barnstaple Town - despite creating chances galore.

The Stags brought another young AFC Bournemouth player into the mix with 18-year-old Tyler Cordner partnering Dave Allen in central defence.

As always, Totton’s young side were full of running, but it was Barnstaple who showed the first snippet of quality when Niall Heeney skipped inside and curled a shot narrowly over.

The Devon visitors, buoyed by successive league and cup victories, kept up the pressure and Stags keeper Charlie Searle got down smartly to turn away Ross Middleton’s 18-yard pile-driver.

A minute later Totton were close to going ahead when Mike Gosney escaped down the left and delivered an enticing cross which just eluded Nathaniel Sherborne as he challenged goalkeeper Steve Oliver.

Totton’s experienced attacking pair looked to have had better luck on 20-minutes when Gosney drove straight through the heart of the visitors’ defence and Oliver parried his stinging shot straight to Sherborne who swept the ball home.

But the linesman’s flag had been raised for offside and, despite protests from the Totton players, the goal was not given.

But the Stags refused to be downhearted and found the net again, this time legitimately, after Nick Watts’ deep cross from the right had been cleared for a corner on the far side.

Barnstaple failed to clear, Allen launched it back in from the right and CHARLIE GUNSTON arrived at the far-post to nod it in.

With Gosney and Watts switching flanks, the former teed up Marley Ridge inside the six-yard box, but he was crowded out, getting clattered in the process.

Watts then powered along the left by-line and it needed a strong hand from Oliver to bat the ball away at his near post.

Barnstaple didn’t threaten again until the 45th minute when Liam Gregory’s ball in was only half headed away, but Lee Francis’s follow-up was straight at Searle.

Half-time: AFC TOTTON 1 BARNSTAPLE 0.

Gosney was showing a real appetite for the game and set up what looked a certain second for Totton soon after half-time but, under pressure, Sherborne scooped the ball over from close range.

The Stags then had to soak up a spell of Barnstaple pressure and, as the hour mark approached, Searle made amends for a weak punch with a full-stretch save that kept out Craig Allen’s deflected shot.

With 65 minutes gone, Totton boss Louis Langdown made his first substitution, replacing Watts with Ashley Jarvis whose first contribution was to force a corner.

Gosney swung the ball in and the towering Cordner – having a strong debut in Totton colours – headed narrowly over.

Jarvis was soon involved again as the visitors were penalised for handball on the edge of the box, but Gosney slammed the free-kick into the defensive wall.

And, with Barnstaple becoming overrun, Jarvis sent in a dangerous first-time cross from the right which Gosney so nearly met with a brave diving header.

Ridge set up Gunston as yet another Totton chance went begging and the Stags were cruelly punished on 77 minutes when the visitors drew level.

It was a frustratingly simple goal with a left-wing corner delivered straight to sub SCOTT SHARP who struck gold with a flicked near-post header.

Connor York, another Cherries youngster having a superb game for the Stags, hit the top of the bar with a cross-shot before the keeper denied him with his legs.

Still Totton kept coming and the crowd could hardly believe their eyes when Sherborne slipped the ball across from the right for Gosney, but Oliver somehow made a crucial intervention to snuff out the danger.

Searle played his part late on, stopping a trio of half-chances from Barnstaple’s James Blake, twice, and Sharp, but it was a match Totton really should have won.