Winchester City 6 Gosport Borough 1
Gosport Borough arrived at the City Ground with a proud defensive record of having only conceded seventeen goals from twenty-four league games. Like City in just over a weeks time they too will be representing the Wessex League in the last sixteen of the F A Vase. It was indeed therefore a compliment from the Gosport followers that City received acclaim for an absolute tremendous performance where they never let Gosport the opportunity of testing City.
From the kick off City chased and fought for every ball winning the midfield battle with ease. Gosport should have seen the warning signs when in only the third minute City were unlucky not to have taken the lead when a looping header from Andrew Forbes was somehow turned away by the stretching six foot eight inch Gosport keeper Mark Brown.
Following an early flurry of City activity Gosport showed a little and Ian Rew had the visitor’s best chance with a header from a corner that went wide. But City scored a deserved opener after eighteen minutes. Brown had produced an excellent double stop to deny Lloyd Webber but Forbes with his predator instincts did not give up and buried the third attempt.
Shaun Dyke in his best game for City tormented the Borough defence all evening, constantly getting to the bye line and producing excellent deliveries into the box. On thirty-three minute one such raid by Dyke saw Forbes benefit by turning home his second goal of the evening from six yards.
Borough tried to make some amends before the interval and came close when Darren Robsons longs range effort went just over but City were comfortable on their two goal interval lead.
City started the second half by all out attacking. Four minute into the period some slack defending by Gosport allowed Forbes to turn and fire home his fifty eighth goal of the season in a crowded penalty area. That was Forbes hat trick, now step forward Ian Mancey.
On the hour again Dyke causing problems on the right flank delivered a cross to the far post where Forbes outjumped everybody laying the ball back across the goal for Mancey to fire home. There was no coming back for Gosport. A series of substitutions saw Winchester look a little less positive, but Boroughs only amends came with ten minutes to go when defender Ollie Cherrett was sent sprawling by Toby Redwood and John Cripps sent home an excellent penalty strike for Gosport. Immediately after the penalty Simon Arthur produced a fine stop from Jamie Lunn to keep the three goal lead in tact.
But in the final five minutes City struck twice more. Another fine run by Dyke set up Mancey to shoot home his second goal of the evening. Dyke limped away from the action to leave City finishing with ten men but still added a sixth again Mancey completing his hat trick with his twenty first goal of the season firing low past Brown.
City : Arthur, Dyke, L Green (Lang 45), Redwood, Goss, Blake, Webber, G Green (Rogers 70), Mancey, Forbes (Tate 75), Smith
Gosport Borough arrived at the City Ground with a proud defensive record of having only conceded seventeen goals from twenty-four league games. Like City in just over a weeks time they too will be representing the Wessex League in the last sixteen of the F A Vase. It was indeed therefore a compliment from the Gosport followers that City received acclaim for an absolute tremendous performance where they never let Gosport the opportunity of testing City.
From the kick off City chased and fought for every ball winning the midfield battle with ease. Gosport should have seen the warning signs when in only the third minute City were unlucky not to have taken the lead when a looping header from Andrew Forbes was somehow turned away by the stretching six foot eight inch Gosport keeper Mark Brown.
Following an early flurry of City activity Gosport showed a little and Ian Rew had the visitor’s best chance with a header from a corner that went wide. But City scored a deserved opener after eighteen minutes. Brown had produced an excellent double stop to deny Lloyd Webber but Forbes with his predator instincts did not give up and buried the third attempt.
Shaun Dyke in his best game for City tormented the Borough defence all evening, constantly getting to the bye line and producing excellent deliveries into the box. On thirty-three minute one such raid by Dyke saw Forbes benefit by turning home his second goal of the evening from six yards.
Borough tried to make some amends before the interval and came close when Darren Robsons longs range effort went just over but City were comfortable on their two goal interval lead.
City started the second half by all out attacking. Four minute into the period some slack defending by Gosport allowed Forbes to turn and fire home his fifty eighth goal of the season in a crowded penalty area. That was Forbes hat trick, now step forward Ian Mancey.
On the hour again Dyke causing problems on the right flank delivered a cross to the far post where Forbes outjumped everybody laying the ball back across the goal for Mancey to fire home. There was no coming back for Gosport. A series of substitutions saw Winchester look a little less positive, but Boroughs only amends came with ten minutes to go when defender Ollie Cherrett was sent sprawling by Toby Redwood and John Cripps sent home an excellent penalty strike for Gosport. Immediately after the penalty Simon Arthur produced a fine stop from Jamie Lunn to keep the three goal lead in tact.
But in the final five minutes City struck twice more. Another fine run by Dyke set up Mancey to shoot home his second goal of the evening. Dyke limped away from the action to leave City finishing with ten men but still added a sixth again Mancey completing his hat trick with his twenty first goal of the season firing low past Brown.
City : Arthur, Dyke, L Green (Lang 45), Redwood, Goss, Blake, Webber, G Green (Rogers 70), Mancey, Forbes (Tate 75), Smith
Document last updated: 07/06/2007
