Southern League
South & West Division
Cinderford Town 1
AFC Totton 2
POST match praise from the opposition provided little consolation to Town boss Paul Weeks after this midweek defeat at The Causeway.
Cinderford more than matched the title-chasers in an excellent first-half. However, after the break Totton took a firm grip on the game to shut down Cinderford's midfield.
Weeks said: "Their manager told me afterwards he'd have taken a point at half-time. He told me we were the best side they had faced this season and was very complimentary about the job we're doing here. Having said that, we've lost the game. Not because they were so much better than us – although they are a very good side – but because they had more experience and know-how. They knew how to snub out our strengths in the second-half and kill the game off."
Cinderford were slick, bright and lively in the opening 45 minutes. The quality of Leon Jeanne shone through as he linked up attacks with neat touches and repeatedly put his marker on his backside with a killer first touch and some clever trickery.
Totton also tried to get the ball down and play at every opportunity. Cinderford survived an early scare when slack marking from Josh Brown let Michael Charles run clean through on goal. He shot wide from close range with just Ben John to beat.
At the other end, Lewis Sommers fired a 25-yard effort wide of the post, then Sam O'Sullivan could only hit the feet of Totton keeper Grant Porter after a sweeping team move. From the resulting corner, Sommers had a header cleared off the line.
Jeanne also had a shot hacked off the line after getting on the end of a long Archer free-kick.
Town took the lead in the 39th minute with a wonder goal from Sam O'Sullivan.
He broke down the left, beat three players and smashed a stinging shot into the top corner of the net.
In the second-half Totton played with much more purpose to dominate possession.
Jeanne still looked dangerous for Town when given the ball, but the service to him and O'Sullivan dried up.
The equaliser came in the 54th minute from a Kris Gosney penalty after Archer had bundled over Charles in the box.
Ben John, nursing a leg injury which meant he could not take goal-kicks, did well to keep out a Davies effort, then the skilful Gosney put a great cross onto the head of Brown, who directed his effort wide.
It was all Totton as John tipped a Gosney free-kick from the edge of the box over the bar, and Archer stopped another shot on the line.
Totton's winner came eight minutes from time, sub Nat Sherborne finishing off a fine length-of-the-field move that carved Town's defence open.
The Foresters had chances to snatch a point, but Dale Evans blasted over following more good work from Jeanne, while Etheridge could only find the side-netting from close range.
Cinderford Town: Ben John, Josh Brown, Danny Haines, Dan Harrison, Warren Archer, Nick Hancock, Dale Evans, Andy Lewis, Leon Jeanne, Lewis Sommers, Sam O'Sullivan (capt). Subs used: Greg Lewis, Nick McCootie, Max Etheridge. Not used: Peter Macklin, Steve Peters.