SAM Barder’s cracking finish proved the difference as Didcot Town recorded only their third Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West victory of the season.

The defender’s 78th-minute strike sealed a 3-2 success against AFC Totton, who played the final half-hour at the Draycott Engineering Loop Meadow with ten men last night.

Totton had claimed only their second league win of the season on Saturday and the visitors got off to a flying start.

Just six minutes were on the clock when Pat Wilson headed in a corner from Nick Watts.

But the lead only lasted until just after the quarter-hour mark, when Adam Learoyd nodded in at the back post.

And the Railwaymen went in ahead at the break, thanks to Oxford United loanee Jordan Graham’s second goal in four days.

A penalty from Michael Gosney saw Totton draw level six minutes after the restart.

But the Stags’ momentum was halted on the hour, when substitute Sam Roberts received a straight red card.

Didcot went on to dominate and 12 minutes from time the extra man paid off.

Barder made the breakthrough with a terrific strike which gave Steve Mowthorpe no chance.

The Totton goalkeeper made one excellent save to prevent a heavier defeat.

Wantage Town’s hopes of climbing off the foot of the table did not last long at high-flying Shortwood United.

The Alfredians suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, going down 7-1 at Meadow Bank.

They trailed 3-0 at the break and although, after falling further behind on 55 minutes, a penalty brought it back to 4-1, it did not prevent a late collapse.

A hat-trick of goals followed in the last ten minutes to round off a miserable night for Stuart Cattell’s side.

Banbury United lost ground on the Premier Division’s top four, who all won, as they drew 1-1 at lowly St Ives Town.

Problems with the floodlights delayed the kick-off in Cambridgeshire by 15 minutes.

When play began Conor McDonagh put the Puritans in front, but St Ives responded before the break through Josh Dawkins.

Banbury, who moved up one place to eighth, could not find a winner in the second half.

In Division 1 Central, Kidlington kept their first clean sheet of the season.

Julian McCalmon’s men shared a goalless draw with Uxbridge, who stayed just above them in the bottom half of the table.

The visitors, for whom Elliott Osborne-Ricketts had a shot well saved midway through the first half, had to dig deep in the face of Uxbridge pressure, especially after the break.

The home side had two appeals for handball in the penalty area waved away in the second half as Kidlington held on for a hard-won point.