POPPIES may have got the defeat Pete Moore was "half-expecting" - but only after Totton grabbed a late controversial winner to seal a 2-1 away win.

Moore's ranks have been decimated in recent weeks by a glut of injuries and several suspensions, while the Poppies boss has also had to press players into action who are plainly not at full fitness.

But a last-minute winner from Gareth Byers had Moore fuming, as Totton's players showed their gratitude to the assistant referee.

Moore explained: "A ball got played over the top, their lad looked about three yards offside and nodded it over Jason Harvell into the empty net.

"I think you can tell when you've had a dodgy offside decision against you when their players are running over to kiss the linesman on his head. It was unbelievable."

While Moore admitted his men "could easily have been two or three down at half-time", Poppies rallied before Totton took the lead through Floyd Hamadu after the break.

But Tim Constable cracked home an equaliser from the edge of the box soon afterwards, which appeared to have salvaged a point.

Moore said: "We would have taken a point quite happily with all the players we've got missing.

"But we were half-expecting a defeat because we just haven't got players available to us.

"The guys who have come in have done really well, but it is frustrating because we would have turned that kind of side over with our first-choice team out."

Poppies: Harvell, Robinson (Hubbard, h-t), L Dibba, Cole, Constable, Wyatt, McCabe, Edwards, Dancer, Joyce, Lane (C Dibba, 60). Unused subs: Toy, Wood.