AFC TOTTON are beginning to breathe comfortably after opening up an 11-point gap on the Southern One South & West bottom two.

While Bridgwater and Wantage both lost, two Nathaniel Sherborne strikes earned the Stags a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over Shortwood United at the Testwood Stadium yesterday.

Totton took the lead on 21 minutes when Ashley Jarvis did well to wriggle free of the Shortwood defence and set up Sherborne, who took a touch before finding the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Jarvis almost scored himself with a delightful lob over keeper Rhys Lovet, but visiting defender Andy Lewis got back to hack the ball off the line.

When it came, the Stags’ 74th-minute second proved well worth the wait.

On-loan AFC Bournemouth wideman Curtis Young crowned an outstanding home debut with a superb cross to the back stick.

Sherborne did the rest, meeting it with an absolute gem of a first-time volley back across the face of goal and into the far top corner.

Shortwood had their chances, but the Stags almost made victory more comfortable in injury time when Young embarked on another fantastic run, cut inside and forced a fingertip save from Lovet.

Totton boss Louis Langdown smiled: “We put in a performance full of effort and desire on a pitch that was mainly flat, but quite chopped up in places.

“Curtis was electric on his home debut, he was an attacking threat throughout.

“He forced several saves and delivered for a fantastic second goal.”

Life has been far from easy for Langdown since taking over the managerial reins in mid-November, making Saturday’s win doubly pleasing.

“It was a nice changing room to be in, knowing we'd put bodies on the line to get the result,” he said.

“We’ve worked hard before and not taken our chances, so this is going to breed confidence."

New signing Harry Medway was handed a debut and, encouragingly, fellow Havant & Waterlooville loanee Alfy Whittingham made an appearance off the bench.

Whittingham had turned an ankle in the abandoned Hampshire FA Senior Cup quarter-final at Hartley Wintney which will be replayed tomorrow (Tuesday, 7.30pm).

HSC semi-final draw (to be played Tuesday, March 7): AFC Bournemouth v AFC Totton or Hartley Wintney, Basingstoke Town v Winchester City.