Sydenhams Wessex League

Winchester City 4 Gosport Borough 1

Winchester City moved ominously close to picking up their second Sydenhams Wessex League championship in three seasons with this emphatic victory over Gosport Borough. Statistically City need two points to be mathematically certain champions, though with their superior goal difference, one point should suffice.

Ian Mancey celebrated a return to the side after being rested in midweek with two goals, whilst Liam green also chipped in with a double. It was Gosport though who had taken the lead.

Playing with a strong wind in their favour, City attacked their opponents from the off. Jamie Musselwhite fired over when well placed 9in the tenth minute then three minutes later after being set up by Mancey, Musselwhite was saved by the diving Gareth Barfoot at the strikers feet. A wind assisted Green ball into the area turned a poor ball into a dangerous goalbound attempt with Barfoot furiously backpedalling to claw the ball away for a corner on seventeen minutes. From the resultant Shaun Dyke corner, Barfoot produced another good stop from a Musselwhite header.

Somewhat against the run of play Gosport took the lead in the nineteenth minute. Some slack City defensive play allowed Kevin Gill to net the opening goal and shortly afterwards David Hook produced a good stop to deny David Rowe and the visitors gaining an undeserved two goal lead.

It was City who fought back with an equaliser. Two minutes following the goal City were level. Greens corner again carrying on the wind was watched all the way by Mancey as he stooped to place a header past Barfoot from side the six yard box.

City pressurised their visitors who were struggling with the wind against them, Christer Warren raced beyond the Gosport defence on the half hour but again Barfoot was equal to the former A F C Bournemouth player’s attempt. In a repeat attacked five minutes later latching on to Matthew Bicknell’s through ball, Warren only managed to roll a weak shot straight at Barfoot.

Two minutes before the interval City were ahead. Mark Jones headed another Green corner back across the area, Musselwhite saw his shot saved by Barfoot, Mancey though was on hand to fire the rebound high into the roof of the net.

With the wind in their favour for the second period, Gosport tried to take full advantage attacking from the off. Making two changes at the interval with substitutions Gosport’s Ian Dyer was given a chance within thirty-five seconds of the restart but he fired his shot across the face of goal. The home side were in no mood to allow their visitors back into the game again.

This was a vastly improved City performance of late and few Wessex League sides will be able to compete with them on this form. Mat Jones headed a Green corner just wide of the target before Green added himself to the scoresheet. Sixty-eight minutes played when from the edge of the box Green struck a sweetly rising left foot drive that soared beyond Barfoot into the roof of the net to give City a two-goal advantage.

Five minutes later and the game was certainly over as a contest. Warren was felled in the box by Adam Camfield and Green confidently hammered the penalty past Barfoot.

It really was then a matter of how many City could add to their tally. The final best two chances fell in the last ten minutes to substitute Richard Mealey. First Barfoot was off his line quickly to take the ball off Mealey's toes as he prepared to shoot then following a Green cross; Mealey's effort saw another fine save by Barfoot.

Winchester : Hook, Mat Jones, Bicknell (Smith 78), Mark Jones, Lang, Webber, Dyke (Wakefield 81), Warren, Mancey (Mealey 78) Musselwhite, Green Unused subs Davies and Chapman

Gosport : Barfoot, Mann (Rew 45), Stone (Guise 83), Camfield, Waterman, Rowe, Case, Gill (Scammell 45), Gill, Laidlaw, Thompson, Dyer Unused subs Jones and Brown