Football: Reynolds at the double as Yate stun Totton (From Gazette Series)

Zamaretto League Division One South & West: Yate Town 3 AFC Totton 2

6:53pm Saturday 13th February 2010 in Sport

MARK REYNOLDS scored a second half brace as Yate Town came out on top in a thrilling encounter against ambitious promotion-chasers AFC Totton.

The striker twice came close before Totton took the lead just before half-time but hit the equaliser on 53 minutes and played a part in Scott Thomas’ goal six minutes later.

Reynolds then looked to have wrapped the game up with 11 minutes left before a late Totton goal led to a nervy finish.

While Reynolds will take most of the plaudits, there were many fine individual performances with Sam Duggan looking back to his best and having a hand in all three goals, Tom Warren dominating aerially after moving to centre back in the absence of the injured Jon McAlinden and Josh Dempsey showing why he has attracted the interest of bigger clubs with several fine saves.

Dave Mogg celebrated a year in charge of Yate earlier this week but few, if any, of his victories at the helm will have tasted as sweet as this one with Totton arriving to Lodge Road as the only realistic title challengers to runaway league leaders Windsor and Eton.

Yate made a lively start and thought they took the lead on two minutes but Duggan was adjudged to be in an offside position when he applied the finish to a low Aron Robbins cross from close range.

Reynolds had Yate’s best chances of the half, firstly forcing a good parry from Gareth Barfoot before being released through the middle by Russ Church and scuffing his shot wide when he should have scored with just the goalkeeper to beat.

In between, Yate were caught on the break when Nathaniel Sherborne sent a lovely ball for Michael Gosney to run onto but his shot across Dempsey was well saved by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.

Totton began to assert their authority as the half went on and caused most problems down the left flank and Yate were given a warning when winger Gosney pulled back for James Taylor, whose shot was saved by the legs of Dempsey.

Two minutes later a Gosney cross fell into the path of Ian Richardson, who smashed home from close range.

Dempsey then made a great save to keep it 1-0 at the break as he tipped Sherborne’s sweetly struck half volley onto the post.

The equaliser came when Reynolds beat the offside trap to get on the end of Duggan’s dangerous inswinging free kick from the left and took a touch before flicking the ball over Barfoot on the turn from five yards.

Yate then went ahead for the first time as Duggan’s corner was only cleared as far as the penalty spot, where Edd Vahid hooked the ball back into the danger area, and Reynolds’ blocked shot fell to Thomas, who rifled home.

The visitors looked for an immediate response and Yate survived a goal mouth scramble before Dempsey made a good block from Charlie Moone’s shot in the box, while at the other end Church brought out a good save from Barfoot after he used his pace to get on the end of a long Robbins free kick.

Yate increased their lead on 79 minutes when Duggan got to the byline and hit a great ball into the six yard area which Barfoot could only get a fingertip to and it bounced up for Reynolds to head in.

Totton scored a consolation goal with four minutes left when Yate failed to deal with a long ball into the box and Taylor volleyed home from near the penalty spot but it was too little too late.

Yate Town: Dempsey, Warren, Robbins, Hale (Adams, 75), Thomas, Burt, Duggan, Vahid ©, Reynolds, Church, Fussell (Simpson, 75). Subs not used: Lambert, Hughes, White.

Att: 147 Ref: Mr Bird.

Gazette star man: Tom Warren.