Sydenhams Wessex League

Winchester City 2 A F C Totton 1

It took a goal min the very last minute of a highly entertaining Sydenhams Wessex League fixture for City to claim an extremely valuable three points. With Christmas and New Year games fast approaching against fellow championship contestants Andover and Thatcham Town the importance of these matches for City to remain undefeated is now priority as manager Steve Tate looks to continue his run of sixteen games unbeaten since taking over the role.

Totton started the afternoon with three ex City players in the side with a further two warming the substitutes bench. City welcomed Lloyd Webber back to the clubs following a brief spell at Basingstoke Town.

It was a tentative start by both sides, Totton showing clearly whey they have only lost on their travels once so far this season and there only defeats have been against City and Thatcham Town. Jamie Musselwhite had the first goal bound attempt with a g=header from a Tommy McCormick corner going just wide.

Ex City player Jamie Austen broke free from his midfield role on sixteen minutes but his final shot was too weak to worry City goalkeeper David Hook. As play switched to the other end, Shaun Dyke 40 yard pass into the path of Musselwhite saw the striker loft the ball over the top of Totton goalkeeper Ian Brunnschweiler turning in anguish as the ball landed on top of the net.

Midway through the opening period and Totton went ahead. City supporters should have realised who would put his name on the score sheet for the opposition. Kevin Reacord flighted in a free kick from the right hand flank, Dean Wheeler flicked the ball on and Toby Redwood shot back across the face of the goal and with the help of a deflection was turning away to celebrate the opening goal.

Webber was seeing a lot of the ball in the middle of the park as he kept prompting City as they went in search of an equaliser. His low drive from the edge of the area on thirty-three minutes hit the side netting. Totton had another chance to increase their lead six minutes layer but Floyd Hamodou headed wide from a Reacord cross.

With three minutes to go to the interval, McCormick’s shot following a free kick was headed away by Redwood falling nicely for M<ark Jones to send a spinning shot goal wards but Brunnschweiler flung himself to his left to push away the shot. Immediately before half time Christer Warren saw two shots fly narrowly wide of Brunnschweilers goal as City were stepping up their performance.

Seven minutes into the second period and City were level. Dykes free kick into the area was finally stabbed home by Webber, which prompted the start of the City fans behind the goal to cheer their team through the rest of the afternoon.

Six minutes after the goal Gareth Byres ran across the field before slipping the ball to Reacord who advanced before firing his shot wide, but it was City that were gradually taking control of the match. Sixty three minutes saw Musselwhite shoot from the edge of the area met with a save by Brunnschweiler and a minute later McCormick cut in from the left and sent a lofted shot just outside the angle of post and bar.

Following a corner on seventy-two minutes Jones shot on the run went just wide then eleven minutes later Ian Mancey had a double effort that was blocked by a foray of Totton defenders. As time was starting to run out a Warren cross to the far post found Dyke, but Brunnschweiler saved his shot. Totton produced an attack in the closing stages Reacord leaving his right flank before firing a shot that saw Hook sprawling across his goal to keep the Totton score at one.

As it seemed both sides would have to be content with a point a piece the game had just entered the final minute when City struck. Dyke teased former City defender Matt Troon who had had a good afternoon against the City wing man, before sending over a cross into the area. Manceys saw yet another effort blocked by the body of a Totton defender this time though the ball ran back out to Ian Buckman. Buckman seemed to find all the time he needed as he steadied himself and then slipped the ball though a crowd of players to creep just inside the far post and turn away to take the accreditation of the City fans before being mobbed by his own team mates. Such was the importance of the victory.

Winchester : Hook, Buckman, Bicknell, Jones, Davies, Warren, Dyke, Webber (Wakefield 90), Mancey, Musselwhite (Kneller 88), McCormick (Green 78) Unused subs Lang and Zawadski

A F C Totton : Brunnschweiler, Thorne, Troon (Piper 90), Wheeler, Redwood, Austen, Roden, Hamodu, Whitcher (West 73), Byres (Gosney 84) Unused sub Monk