Premier League cult hero, 35, scores last gasp winner in wild seventh tier play-off clash with FOUR stoppage time goals
BLAST FROM THE PAST Premier League cult hero, 35, scores last gasp winner in wild seventh tier play-off clash with FOUR stoppage time goals
PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero Charlie Austin scored a last gasp winner to send his seventh tier side AFC Totton into a promotion play-off final.
AFC Totton beat Dorchester Town 4-3 in the semi-final of the Southern League Premier play-offs - but only after some incredible theatrics.
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Premier League cult hero Charlie Austin booked his non-league side a place in a seventh tier play-off final
Credit: Ben Sayers / Sayers Sports Photography
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Austin scored a last-second winner for AFC Totton
One of the most insane non-league football matches of all time saw FOUR goals scored in stoppage time.
Austin's side were trailing 2-0 in the final minute of normal time and were set to end their season there and then at home.
But it was somehow 3-3 by the time the referee's full-time whistle was blown in the 12th minute of injury time.
Former Luton Town striker Scott Rendell, 38, scored from the spot to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute.
Before Tony Lee hit goals in the seventh and 10th minute of added time to lead 3-2.
But Dorchester's Jack Dickson levelled the scores right after Totton went ahead to ensure extra-time.
But with penalties looming, former Premier League star Austin stepped up to poke home from close range in the 119th minute.
One fan wrote on X: "This was the best end to a game I've ever seen live!"
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Austin was still playing professional football last season for Swindon Town before joining the seventh tier Southampton side in July 2024.
The 35-year-old is now at the 15th club of his career, having started in non-league before rising to the glittering heights of the Prem.
Charlie Austin goes on furious rant about officials after Southampton's draw with Watford
Austin made 111 top-flight appearances across spells at Queens Park Rangers and Southampton.
After scoring 18 goals in his debut Prem campaign with QPR, Austin was called up to the England national team by Roy Hodgson in 2015.
He teamed up with former Southampton striker at AFC Totton - James Beattie, who is the club's Director of Football.
It is the second straight season that AFC Totton have reached the final, after they were beaten by Salisbury in May 2024.
They will take on Gloucester City, who eliminated Walton & Hersham via penalties after a 2-2 draw in their semi final, on Wednesday.
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