AFC Totton’s daunting trip to unbeaten league leaders Hereford was the proverbial game of two halves.

The Stags were pulverised in a punishing first 45 minutes, going in 5-0 down in front of an expectant 2,522 Edgar Street crowd.

But no further damage was sustained after the break and Totton almost ‘won’ the second half when Dylan Knight forced Bulls 'keeper Alex Harris into a smart save.

Tristan Plummer finished off a sweeping move to give Hereford a 15th-minute lead before Totton struck the self-destruct button not once, but three times.

Dave Allen’s own goal was followed by another from Ian Oliver before Sam Roberts needlessly conceded a penalty which Mike Symons converted.

Symons added a second before the break and, at that stage, double figures did not look out of the question.

But the Stags regrouped at half-time and can be pleased with a solid second-half showing.

New Totton boss Louis Langdown admitted: “We didn’t help ourselves with two own goals and a penalty but this was Hereford, a former Football League club who were playing AFC Bournemouth in League Two in 2005!

“It’s great to have them gracing our league but, ultimately, they’re not the same standard as us and they will go on to compete in the Conference without a shadow of a doubt.

“We went at them second half and opened them up a bit, but the game was dead by then.

“Hereford praised us for our second-half performance…if only we could have started that way!”

Truth be told, it would have taken a minor miracle for third-to-bottom Totton to have got anything from the game and Langdown wants to look forward now rather than back.

Tuesday's visit of Swindon Supermarine kicks off a run of five home games in the next six – four of them in the league.

“We weren’t expected to get anything out of the last three games, but we picked up a point at Larkhall (0-0) and got a clean sheet,” said Langdown.

“It starts now for us really.”

Newly-signed midfielder Marley Ridge should finally be available on Tuesday having been required by his parent club Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday. Wideman Nick Watts faces a suspension for five bookings.