AFC TOTTON 1 EVESHAM UTD 3.

THE sooner AFC Totton’s fit-again goal machine Justin Bennett is ready to play a full 90 minutes, the happier manager Louis Langdown will be.

Right now the Stags are not quite firing in front of goal.

But the sight of Bennett , Gosport Borough’s all-time record scorer, coming off the bench for the last knockings of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by league leaders Evesham United was a major psychological boost for the Testwood Stadium club.

Evesham, who had gone top of the Evo-Stik Division One South in midweek, are among the favourites for promotion.

And although Saturday’s result ultimately went against Totton, Langdown took heart from watching his players go “toe-to-toe” with a quality Southern League side, albeit that poor finishing let them down.

“We kept getting in behind them and creating lots of clear opportunities, but it’s not happening for us in front of goal at the moment,” he confessed.

“The first half we didn’t really get going, but we went in 1-1 and, ironically, we played a lot better second half and lost.

“Goals are what we’re missing and we have to start scoring when we’re on top.”

It was Totton who took the lead on 40 minutes when, from Charlie Gunson’s corner, defender Jack Barker stooped to head in.

That came just a couple of minutes after Craig Feeney had beaten the offside trap and tried to play the ball back for a Stuart Green sitter, only for the Evesham defence to intervene.

But the Stags’ lead didn’t last long as Joe Tumelty levelled matters up on 42 minutes, sweeping home a low cross from the left.

Evesham could point to Charlie Gunson’s goalline clearance from Nick Humphreys and an incredible sequence of shots from Tumelty – the second of which smacked the underside of the bar – as reasons they ultimately deserved to take all three points back to Worcestershire.

But, from a Totton perspective, the likes of Jack Smith, Toby Adekunle and the incredibly hard-working Green, might all have scored before a game-changing penalty was awarded against Stags' goalkeeper Shane Murphy in the 77th minute.

He was deemed to have shoved Steve Davies out of the way as a high, hanging cross came in and Davies himself sent Murphy the wrong way from the spot.

Green – a 30-goal golden boot man for Salisbury last season - was left thumping the ground in frustration as yet another chance escaped him in the 80th minute and, to rub salt in the wounds, Evesham’s Sean Brain captialised on Barker's late mis-kick inside the box to put a rather flattering slant on the scoreline.

Bennett, who went on in the 82nd minute, observed: “We had enough opportunities before the penalty to be 2-1 or 3-1 up. We’ve got to make the most of the opportunities when we get them.”

Feeling Green’s frustration, the 36-year-old added: “Stu needs a goal. I know what it’s like when you go a while without scoring, but he’ll be fine when a goal goes in.”

AFC Totton: Shane Murphy, Connor York, Jack Barker, Robin Nicholls, Callum Chugg (Alex Haynes, 58), Jack Smith, Stuart Green, Eddie Perrett, Craig Feeney (Tom Bearwish, 65), Charlie Gunson, Toby Adekunle (Justin Bennett, 82). Subs (not used): Christos Papakonstantinou, Adam Wilde.

Referee: Adam Baker.

Attendance: 331