Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 S&W
Taunton Town 5, AFC Totton 0

TAUNTON Town had irresistible spells either side of half time to thank for a comfortable victory over AFC Totton which brought up their ninth straight win.

Ross Staley and Craig Veal scored two goals apiece, and Matt Wright grabbed his first in three games, as the Peacocks maintained their fine form into next weekend's showdown with league leaders Hereford.

Manager Leigh Robinson rotated his squad for the Totton encounter, with Jordan Rogers - four goals in his last two games - dropping to the bench and Veal starting.

The hosts weren't quite at the races initially, with a lot of wasted possession by both sides, but Staley was proving the most prominent attacking threat from left wing-back early on.

His overlapping runs forced several corners, one of which was headed towards goal by Owen Irish, only for it to be blocked and cleared.

And when Totton conceded a free-kick 25 yards out, it was Staley who stepped up to power an effort into the bottom left-hand corner on 23 minutes.

Then on 39 minutes, as Totton wasted a corner, Town hit them on the counter - Veal was one of three players running onto the long pass forward, and he curled his effort past the keeper for 2-0.

Two minutes before half time, it was 3-0. Ed Palmer danced his way through midfield and Taunton won a corner, which was only cleared as far as Ollie Chamberlain, who crossed for Wright to head home.

The hosts then scored straight from the kick-off following half time - as Chamberlain found Josh Seale overlapping, and his cross was perfect for Staley to head in for his second.

The game was won, but Town wrapped up the scoring for the afternoon in the 54th minute, as Shane White's corner was headed up but not away, and Veal dived onto it to net from close range.

The home side then made substitutions with Hereford on the horizon, and the rhythm went out of their game - and Totton looked the likelier to score for the remainder of the match.

The closest they came was a cross-shot from Curtis Young, which came back off the crossbar, before Lloyd Irish was forced into a couple of saves from Michael Gosney and Dave Allen.

So not the complete performance from the Peacocks, but they did what they needed to do to take the game away from Totton either side of the break, and they go into the Hereford match in the best possible form.

They also drew closer to the playoffs, as Tiverton Town could only draw and Salisbury were beaten at home.

Taunton: Lloyd Irish, Josh Searle, Owen Irish, Ed Palmer, Alex Hoyle, Ross Staley (Ben Palmer 61), Shane White, Brett Trowbridge (c), Matt Wright (Jordan Rogers 77), Craig Veal, Ollie Chamberlain (Matt Buse 73).
Attendance: 427.