Gloucester City’s dreams of securing a swift return to the second tier of non-league football were dashed by a narrow defeat in the play-off final at AFC Totton.
Despite a thrilling penalty shootout victory in the previous match, Ethan Taylor’s 70th-minute strike secured Southern League Premier South runners-up AFC Totton a historic promotion to the National League South at Gloucester City’s expense.
The loss also marked the end of an era for City captain Kevin Dawson, who announced his retirement at the close of the season, leaving fans chanting “one more year” in a bittersweet farewell.
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The Tigers, led by Mike Cook, fought hard, with Elis Watts and Harry Pinchard coming close, but ultimately fell short in their quest for an equalizer, bringing an end to their promotion aspirations.
AFC Totton’s winning lineup included Gosney, Oastler, Magri, Seymour, Rendell, Taylor, Tanner, Collins, Bennett, Lee, and McIntyre, while Gloucester City’s squad featured Thompson, Leadbitter, Duffus, Richards-Everton, Ball, Dawson, Williams, Pinchard, Grubb, Hanks, and Watts.
In a parallel play-off final, Evesham United secured promotion to the Southern League Premier level with a 1-0 victory over Malvern Town, as Levi Steele found the net in front of an impressive 2,949 fans at the Jubilee Stadium.