Here is a report from a Totton fan...
I have been watching football for 35 Years and I have not seen anything quite like those HORRIFIC scenes after the game. BEACONSFIELD WERE A DISGRACE!!! Apparently both Aiden Lewis and Gareth Barfoot were assaulted ( Gareth has a huge mark down the side of his face ). A certain MR Nichols was again in the thick of it baiting home supporters along with a few of their other players. They spat in our crowd, one of our ball boys ( my son ) got hit in the face with a corner flag that they broke as they came off and he has a little bruising down his face. Oh and they ripped some fittings off of the away changing room wall and THREW it out of the changing room wall WITHOUT OPENING IT!!! They also kicked in some panelling in the changing room. The sewards were at full stretch trying to keep the fans and players apart at the end as well as having to go on the pitch to try ( in vain ) to calm things down. Oh and they have alleged that one of our fans hit one of their players. I later found ut that they assaulted him first according to many witnesses. The only time we have had trouble at Testwood Park this season was against Uxbridge and who was playing for them that day???
Here from their local paper
THERE were disgraceful scenes after the final whistle as AFC Totton booked their ticket to the final of the BGB Southern 1 South & West play-offs with a tense 2-1 victory over Beaconsfield SYCOB last night.
As the Stags were celebrating victory after holding on in a tense finale, a mass brawl broke out during which a member of the Beaconsfield coaching staff was clearly seen to kick Totton goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot in the head.
Such was the vicious nature of the assault that the police were called and what should have been a champagne night for Totton ended under in utter disarray.
But manager Stuart Ritchie refused to let it overshadow a marvellous achievement by the Stags, who now host Didcot Town in the final on Saturday after the Oxfordshire side stunned second-placed Windsor & Eton 2-0 in the other semi-final.
“Beaconsfield behaved like a bunch of animals, they were totally out of order, but it’s not going to ruin our night,” said the Stags boss. “We’re good people here and we can stand up to that, no problem.
“Robbo (left-back Matt Robinson) is a policeman and he saw the whole thing.”
And now the report from the Beaconsfield press:
VIGILANTES marred Beaconsfield SYCOB’s first ever play-off match after a group of hard core AFC Totton supporters stormed the pitch following their side’s 2-1 victory on Tuesday night.
Police were called following what is sure to be one of the most tense spectacles seen at Testwood Park for along time, which resulted in a brawl after the final whistle, with both clubs likely to be reported to the FA for violent conduct.
The eight on hand stewards were unable to stop a handful of incensed fans from spilling onto the pitch and laying into SYCOB players after the visitors were forced to retaliate in defence.
Rams’ boss Jamie Jarvis received a cowardly blow to the back of the head from Stags’ goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot for his troubles in trying to protect one of his players, whilst former Wycombe Wanderers defender Steve Dell sustained a bloody nose after being set upon by players and fans alike.
Authorities took statements from both sets of club officials, but are not expected to press any charges for assault. Supporters were contained behind barriers for 20 minutes after the match before eventually being re-routed back through the turnstiles to avoid any further disturbances.
Remarkably, it’s not the first time that the Hampshire side have been in the spotlight, after Uxbridge reported similar inappropriate conduct earlier in the season, which also ended in bad taste.
Tensions between the both sides were always going to run high on Tuesday given what was at stake [a place in the play-off final], and the seemingly inconceivable number of bookings made throughout the match.
“I thought the referee was biased,” blasted Jarvis. “We had 10 players booked against their one or two. The only player who wasn’t shown a yellow card was our goalkeeper, so that pretty much says it all.
“On the playing side, I felt we had three chances to win the match, but didn’t take them. We now need to turn our attention to strengthening the squad for next season if we’re looking to gain promotion to the Premier Division.
“For me, as a manager, that’s important,” he added.
SYCOB started well enough against Totton, with Craig O’Connor perhaps coming closest to giving the visitors the early lead after breaching the home side’s backline.
But the hosts struck back with a vengeance before the interval through top scorer James Taylor, and an impressive free kick from Ryan Hill just shy of the half-hour mark.
Yet, amid the controversy of the leading match official, the visitors notably upped the tempo midway through the second period. And, although the hosts hit the woodwork twice, the Rams were thrown a lifeline when Bradley Bubb broke clear of his marker to pull one back for SYCOB after 70 minutes.
The division’s heavyweight scorer, however, was put to the test four minutes from time after his side were awarded an undisputed penalty, which Bubb amazing failed to convert to level the proceedings.
Even a goal-line scramble on the stroke of the final whistle had looked to have crossed the line, but again Jarvis’ men were denied by some frantic defending.
Highly entertaining to see such differing interpretations!!