Totton beat Hemel and Torquay, then lose 3–1 at home to Chelmsford

Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Harriet Ladbrooke

AFC Totton lost 3–1 at home to Chelmsford City on Saturday, four days after beating Torquay United 1–0, with the BBC crediting Ollie Godziemski with a stoppage-time goal at 90+4. Chelmsford’s report called it “a late goal for the hosts”.

Olopade scored in the 17th minute and Jack Barham added goals in the 26th and 42nd. Chelmsford’s report said Olopade’s shot from the edge of the box “hit the inside of the post, slipped past the keeper’s hand and fell into the net”, and that Barham “never gave up chasing” Nathan Ralph’s long ball for the second. The Non-League Paper said: “The Stags had defeated Torquay four days earlier, but produced a meek showing.” Chelmsford’s report said Totton made three changes at half-time and “came out for the second half with more fight”.

The defeat leaves Totton 18th on 16 points from 15 games, with five wins, one draw and nine defeats. They are level on points and goal difference, minus 13, with 17th-placed Braintree Town, and are one point above 20th-placed Hemel Hempstead Town and five above 21st-placed Chesham United. The bottom four are relegated, and only the champions are promoted automatically, with second to seventh going into the play-offs.

Going by the dated results, Totton lost six league games in a row, 3–1 at Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday 8 September, 1–0 to Slough Town on Saturday 12 September, 2–0 at Dover Athletic on Saturday 26 September, 1–0 to Walton & Hersham on Saturday 10 October, 5–0 to Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday 13 October and 2–1 at Folkestone Invicta on Saturday 17 October. They then won 3–1 at Hemel on Saturday 24 October and 1–0 against Torquay on Tuesday 27 October, before Saturday’s defeat.

Scott Rendell’s side have scored 14 goals, level with Maidenhead United and Hemel as the joint fourth-fewest in the division, and conceded 27. Their last six league results, oldest first, are three defeats, two wins and the defeat by Chelmsford. They have won three of eight at home for nine points, and two of seven away for seven.

Chelmsford are the only unbeaten side in the league after 13 games, with four wins and nine draws, and sit 12th on 21 points. They won 1–0 at Dover on Tuesday 27 October before beating Totton.

Totton’s next game is at Horsham on Saturday 7 November. Horsham, managed by Dominic Di Paola, are 10th on 22 points and are unbeaten in five league games after thrashing Farnborough 5–0 on Saturday. Totton are then at Dartford in the FA Trophy second round on Saturday 14 November, host Dagenham & Redbridge, who are eighth on 24 points, on Saturday 21 November and visit Salisbury on Tuesday 24 November.

Salisbury are fourth on 28 points and unbeaten in ten league games.