AFC TOTTON overcame a dodgy start to jolt North Leigh’s Southern One South & West play-off hopes with a 2-1 win at a sun-drenched Testwood Stadium this afternoon.

With Mike Gosney serving a two-match ban for ten bookings, Mark Lilley came into the Totton side along with returning centre-back Pat Wilson.

Unlike last week when the Stags raced into an early lead at Tiverton, this time they began sluggishly and fell behind in the fourth minute following lax defending from a free-kick.

Distracted perhaps by a change of match ball, they switched-off as Jamie Cook delivered from the right and Lance Williams met it with a thumping downward header which bounced past Stags keeper Steve Mowthorpe.

With Totton all over the place defensively early on, John Else smacked a half-volley straight at Mowthorpe and George Seacole had a penalty appeal turned down before twice rolling efforts past the Totton keeper’s right-hand post.

The Stags’ only early opportunity was a Nick Watts cross from the right which flashed inches over Nathaniel Sherborne’s head.

It wasn’t until the 27th minute that the home crowd had reason to hope again when a neat move saw Watts slide a pass through to Neil Williams.

But defender Lewis White got across to prevent the midfielder making a decent connection with his shot.

That prompted a spell of pressure from the home side with ex-Eastleigh midfielder Jack Alexander bursting in from the right and forcing North Leigh keeper Ben Taylor into his first save.

Then, on the half-hour, Watts moved inside and drove an arrowed shot wide from the edge of the area.

By now it was the visitors’ defence that was looking uncomfortable and they too succumbed to a free-kick as Totton’s pressure culminated in a deserved 34th-minute equaliser.

Watts flighted the ball in from deep on the left and Sherborne rose high to net a back-post header.

Apart from Mowthorpe’s point-blank save with his legs from Seacole, Totton looked the likeliest to score again.

Lilley and Sherborne threatened before the excellent Watts profited when the ball bounced of Leigh’s Morgan Williams midway inside the visitors’ half. The No7 raced on and unleashed a shot which was well turned over by Taylor.

Six minutes into the second-half the game ground to an unexpected halt when referee Iain Parsons, who had been feeling unwell before kick-off, called the two managers over to tell them he could not continue.

An announcement was made to find a new official and, with no-one forthcoming, North Leigh assistant manager Terry Merriman stepped in to run the line. The game continued after a six-minute stoppage with assistant Nigel Sykes now in charge.

On 65 minutes, Totton seized the lead with a mix of genius and luck from ex-Sholing winger Watts.

In space on the right, he surprised himself - and keeper Taylor - with an intended cross that sailed into the far top corner from 25 yards.

The visitors, captained by ex-Salisbury midfielder Wayne Turk, might have conceded again when Williams burst free, but he blasted straight at the keeper.

Taylor finger-tipped away Mark Gamble’s crisp 30-yard free-kick before the Stags were unlucky when both sub Dylan Knight and Gamble headed against the bar following a Watts corner.