Complacency costs Totts dear

Totternhoe's run of eight straight victories came to an end after going down 4-3 to local neighbours Pitstone & Ivinghoe on Saturday.

It looked like Totternhoe would continue their winning run when they took the lead after just 60 seconds as Guilliaume Mouaha-Mouaha squared for Aiden Murray to finish the back post.

The hosts dominated the opening 15 minutes, but didn’t take their chances as Pitstone levelled midway through the half when Kieran Doughty fired home from 20 yards and he netted again moments later to make it 2-1.

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In the second period, Doughty completed his hat-trick to make it 3-1 just two minutes in, but Totternhoe were back in the game on the hour, Wayne O’Connor crossing for Daniel Lambeth to head home.

Pitstone then won a penalty as Scott Weymouth brought down Doughty and George Armstrong stepped up to make it 4-2.

Totternhoe pulled a goal back six minutes from time when good play from Murray saw Mouaha-Mouaha brilliantly beat two defenders to find the corner of the net.

Lee Loasby’s header was superbly saved, while Totts were denied what they felt was a stonewall penalty in the last minute, when Mouaha-Mouaha was felled in the area and in the aftermath, both Callum Horgan and O’Connor were sent off.

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Manager Chris Robson said: “It was a very frustrating afternoon for us. I felt the first 15 minutes we were superb, did the right things and made the right decisions.

“For some reason however we stopped doing this and found ourselves in a game with Pitstone taking control.

“Defensively our shape and want to stop the other team attacking was very poor and with better finishing we could have conceded six or seven.

“It was the first time this season we have defended so poorly as you cannot expect to score three goals and still lose a game.

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“You can look at the officials who were very poor as if they give the correct decision for our penalty at the end of the game we take something from the game.

“It was an embarrassing decision by the referee, but we cannot blame him for the defeat as Pitstone deserved their win.

“Maybe we needed that to bring us down a peg or two as in recent weeks a bit of complacency has come into our attitudes and performances.

“If we want to compete for titles and silverwarethis year we have to do things properly at all times, otherwise we will lose games.”

Totternhoe host Marston Shelton Rovers in the Beds Senior Trophy this weekend.