AFC TOTTON suffered stoppage-time misery as they were sentenced to their fourth defeat in the last five Southern One South & West games.

Having pulled themselves back on terms against ten-man Taunton Town with a magnificent Rob Flooks header, the opportunity was there to get back to winning ways.

But the Stags switched off from a free-kick in the 91st minute as the Peacocks emerged last-gasp 2-1 victors.

The Stags welcomed back centre-half Flooks after suspension and the returning Nathaniel Sherborne was once again stationed on the left of midfield.

Totton were nearly undone in the sixth minute when Craig Herrod made inroads down the right and crossed for Rodney Marsh, who sneaked in unmarked and dragged his shot wide of Steve Mowthrope’s left-hand post.

The home side forced a corner two minutes later with Flooks heading Liam Gilbert’s delivery forward to Zac Mouland, who nodded their first chance just wide of the upright.

There was little to choose between the sides with Marsh’s shot deflected out for a Taunton corner and Sherborne firing across the face of goal after Craig Feeney had picked him out on the left of the area.

There was little to enthral watching ex-Saint Claus Lundekvam in a fairly uneventful first-half hour, but the crowd were woken from their slumbers in the 30th minute when Marsh floored Gilbert with a hefty challenge.

Marsh escaped with just a yellow card and, ironically, it was from his through ball that the Peacocks took the lead three minutes later.

Once again Totton’s defensive failings were exposed with Steven Murray darting through and coolly slipping the ball past Mowthorpe.

With the Stags reeling from that blow, it could have been two in two minutes for the visitors but, once again, Marsh fired wide when well placed. As Totton settled, Zac Mouland forced a corner before losing out to goalkeeper Joe Perry in the chase for Ellis White’s forward pass.

Jamie Bulpitt then picked the ball up on the right and aimed for the far top corner, but the ball drifted well over and, come the half-time whistle, neither keeper had had a serious stop to make.

The feisty Marsh, a thorn in Totton’s side, was replaced by Ben Kirk for the start of the second-half – presumably to avoid him being sent-off.

But if that was the plan it didn’t pay off as the visitors were soon reduced to ten men in any case.

With 57 minutes gone Jamie Short’s mazy run to the edge of the Totton box was crowded out by the home defence.

Frustrated at losing possession, Short crudely chopped down Sherborne and then compounded his crime by pushing away the angry Totton players who had gathered round. It left referee Craig Green with no option but to show him red.

With discipline deserting the ten-man visitors, skipper Owen Irish then entered the referee’s notebook for fouling Feeney.

With their tails now up, Totton panicked the Taunton defence for the first time on 66 minutes when, following good work by Feeney, Kyle O’Brien’s close range blast was superbly blocked by keeper Joe Perry and Mouland’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Irish.

Lundekvam had seen enough, leaving with 72 minutes gone just as Totton boss Steve Riley was throwing on Taylor Edwards for Sherborne.

He should have waited a couple of minutes longer as Totton duly equalised with a stunning set piece.

Gilbert whistled over a free-kick from the right and Flooks rose majestically to glance a header into the far corner.

Riley made another throw of the dice with five minutes remaining, replacing Bulpitt with Nathan Hurst.

And there was another outcry from Totton fans when Flooks appeared to be pushed over awaiting another Gilbert free-kick from the right.

An increasingly niggly contest boiled over again with two minutes of normal time remaining when Taunton’s Rob Norrish wrapped his arms all round Feeney on the standside touchline.

Feeney reacted and there was an exchange of words between Gilbert and Taunton’s Jamie Price before the referee restored some semblance of order.

There was yet more unrest among the Totton faithful when, in the first minute of stoppage time, the visitors were awarded a free kick on the right, supposedly for a foul by Flooks.

They took an age to take it and, when substitute Ben Kirk finally delivered, Price rose unmarked to head in the most frustrating of winners from a Stags perspective.