Totton give Chichester pre-season food for thought

A hat-trick from Craig Feeney and another goal from Alfy Whittingham helped Totton beat Chichester City 4-2 n a lively pre-season match at the Testwood Stadium.
A goal for City at Totton / Picture by Tommy McMillanA goal for City at Totton / Picture by Tommy McMillan
A goal for City at Totton / Picture by Tommy McMillan

Most of the early chances fell to the Hampshire side who ply their trade in the Evo-Stik South with the likes of Winchester, Taunton and Salisbury.

In the opening stages Totton’s Curtis Young saw an effort drift narrowly off-target after nice build-up play, then Whittingham fired a fierce shot just the wrong side of the post.

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The Stags went ahead after quarter of an hour when Toby Adekunle threaded the ball through to Feeney, who slotted it past Dave Hook.

Whittingham doubled the lead five minutes later finishing off a flowing move that involved Feeney and Jack Masterton.

Hook had to make a couple of saves from Totton raids and at the other end Scott Jones went close with two headers.

The shell-shocked visitors got back into the game in the 35th minute when Dave Herbert, combining effectively with Scott Jones up front after good work from skipper Dan Hegarty, took advantage of a ball pulled back to him from the byline for his second goal for his new club after a debut strike against Bognor a week or so ago.

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And it was Jones and Herbert that linked up again for the equaliser just before half-time. Herbert latched on to a ball over the top and lobbed Shane Murphy.

Totton reclaimed the lead barely 15 seconds after the re-start. The home side capitalised on a defensive mistake and Whittingham picked out Feeney to make it 3-2.

City’s Tafadzwa Kanjanda went close and Murphy bravely denied Josh Clack when the Chi winger got through one on one.

Feeney completed his hat-trick with a crisp finish into the bottom corner late on in the game.

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Consistency has been hard to find for City this pre-season but matches have come thick and fast, including three games in four days in the past week, and Miles Rutherford and his management team have had a number of things to try out as new signings settle in to the first team.

Rutherford said: “The disappointing thing wasn’t the result but the performance. Totton were the better side from start to finish.”

Coach Danny Potter added: “One pleasing thing about pre-season is we’ve played some very good sides like Totton, Bognor and Salisbury, all from leagues above us, which we hope will prepare us for both the league and cup campaigns.”

The FA Cup journey begins for many clubs this weekend with the extra preliminary stage. Chichester travel to Binfield FC near Bracknell (3pm).

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