AFC TOTTON paid the price for a calamitous opening nine minutes in this afternoon’s 3-1 home defeat to high-flying Tiverton Town in the Southern One South & West.

The Stags lined up without Mike Gosney, who tweaked his back this morning, while continuing groin problems confined fellow winger Nick Watts to the bench.

As if Totton’s task wasn’t tricky enough against a side sitting third in the table, they contrived to concede straight from the kick-off.

There were only 15 seconds on the clock when Levi LANDRICOMBE took a pop at goal.

His shot hit Charlie Searle’s right-hand post and rolled along the goal-line before creeping in off the other upright.

Just when you thought a dreadful start couldn’t get any worse, it did.

With less than nine minutes gone, Tivvy struck again.

This time it was Jamie Price’s shot that struck the base of the post and, with the Totton defence ball-watching, Nick HURST nipped in to slot the ball home.

Totton were understandably shellhocked and it wasn’t until the 17th minute that they showed any sign of promise when Nathaniel Sherborne slipped a pass in for Alfy Whittingham to turn onto, but keeper Joe Perry safely gathered.

That was enough to lift the Stags and, on 21 minutes, they spectacularly pulled a goal back.

Tiverton only half cleared a cross from the right and Curtis Young quickly slipped the ball back to player/assistant manager Adam WILDE who was stationed just outside the area.

There were shades of Matt Le Tissier as the former Gosport man flicked the ball up and in one majestic movement looped a left-foot strike out of reach of keeper Perry.

Suddenly it was Tiverton on the back foot and they were lucky to survive a 33rd-minute Wilde corner which, having narrowly missed young Harry Medway’s head, fell for Sherborne whose goal-bound shot was blocked inside the six-yard box.

Tom Bath dragged a chance wide as Tivvy broke, but Totton were quickly back on the offensive and, from Young’s excellent cross from the right, Charlie Gunson’s header was turned away point-blank by Perry.

At that stage Totton looked good value for an equaliser, but their bubble was burst on 40 minutes as the visitors made it 3-1.

Hurst got the better of Ian Oliver on the right of the area and an initial shot from Bath ran loose for Mike WILLIAMS to put away.

Half-time: AFC Totton 1 Tiverton Town 3.

Encouraged by elements of their first-half performance, Totton came out positively after the break and Sherborne’s shot was deflected behind.

As the corner came over, Tivvy managed to stop Dave Allen's header creeping inside the far post with Totton arguing, unsuccessfully, that a defender's hand had intervened.

Bath then fired over on the angle for Tivvy before Oliver’s left-wing delivery made its way over to Sherborne whose weak shot bobbled into Perry’s grasp.

Barring a couple of pot shots over and a Landricombe effort that was easily saved by Searle at his near post, Tiverton offered minimal threat in the second-half.

But, unfortunately for Totton, a game that could realistically have ended all square had long been wrestled from their grasp in those disastrous opening nine minutes.