STEVE Riley hailed two unsung heroes as AFC Totton got back to winning ways with a 1-0 home win over Tiverton Town on Saturday.

Top gun Craig Feeney has grabbed the bulk of the headlines this season, but it was lesser lights James Jennings and Ellis White who received the manager’s praise after the Stags had halted a run of four straight league and cup defeats.

White, a product of the Totton youth system, stood tall alongside skipper Rob Flooks at the heart of defence having got the nod ahead of Chris Onoufriou.

And it was former Eastleigh left-sided player James Jennings who settled a tight Southern League Division One South & West encounter, bouncing off the bench to expertly steer home a 20-yard free-kick with just over a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.

Totton had survived their biggest scare in the opening five minutes when ex-Saints academy keeper Steve Mowthorpe, below, produced a terrific stop to deny Tom Gardener.

Nathaniel Sherborne, who operated wide left while Joe Maxwell partnered Feeney up front, tested Tiverton’s keeper in the second half. Any hope the visitors had of getting back into the game disappeared when their skipper James Richards was sent off late on.

“It was a good, solid, honest performance from our boys,” said Riley.

“We shaded the first half against quite a physical side, but Steve Mowthorpe made a great early save, managing to claw away a towering header from a corner.

“We worked on getting solid and organised during the week and, as a group, we did that today and the talking was good.

“I was really pleased with Ellis White. He started the season, but we took him out and he’s been a bit frustrated, but he did well today alongside Rob Flooks. He’s got all the attributes he needs to keep that level of performance going.

“James Jennings did well too. He was away the early part of the season, but he played in the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday and made an impact when he came on today. He likes a free-kick and he’s very accurate too.

“Everyone was a seven out of ten or above today and the challenge now is to go to Cinderford next week (Saturday) and add it.”

Victory lifts Totton to third, level on points with second-placed Wimborne Town, who edged a goal feast 4-3 at Bishop’s Cleeve – ex-Winchester and Bashley striker Mark Gamble hitting the penalty winner.

Another former Winchester player, Clive Makoni, scored for Bashley, along with Mitchell Speechley-Price, in their shock 2-0 win at Taunton. It was the Foresters’ first league win of the season and ended Taunton’s 15-game unbeaten league record.