Swindon Supermarine 2 Winchester City 0

Lacklustre City

After their FA Cup exploits away to cray wanderers in mid-week and suffering from the absence of three experienced players, Ian Mancey, Mark Jones, and Jamie Musselwhite (all injured), Winchester? patched -up team included two new signings, gave a very under par performance at Hunts Copse, home of Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.

City featured Combined Services player Wes O?Connor making his first start, Sam Cockerell on loan from Woking and and Mark Gamble, a Southampton F.C. Academy player and played one up front for the first half. Although the first 15 minutes were evenly contested gradually the Supers gained the upper hand. With only one up front City failed to carve out many chances, although Gamble played well in his lone roll. At the other end there seemed to be too many defenders getting in each other?s way.

It was City, however, who came the closest to scoring in the early stages. Gamble put in a good run but pushed the ball too far giving the Super?s keeper the chance to collect.

Supermarine looked to have opened the scoring from a corner but City keeper dave Hook brilliantly tipped a goalbound shot over the bar.

City created a chance when a good move between Lloyd Webber and Gable resulted in the former having a penetrating cross cut out.

Supermarine broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Chris Taylor drifted in from the left and beat Hook with an angled shot into the top corner of
the net.

As Supermarine piled on the pressure City were only given two half chances before half time. Webber pulled the ball back from the bye-line but just
short of Pete Smith who was running in to shoot and Cockeril combined well with Tom Vaurecka, but the latter shot weakly.

Manager Steve Moss re-organised the side at half time bringing on Danny Wakefield for Andy Darnton but unfortunately City conceded a second goal in the 48th minute. A cross was back-headed and the unmarked Dave Pratt converted at
the near post.

Two down, Moss brought on Chris Flood for James Davis (54th minute) and the Vaurecka was replaced by Richard Mealey (65 minutes) and for a period City began to make progress which resulted in Stewart Lang crashing a header against the bar and Gamble having a powerful shot saved but that was that.

Some sterling defending by Davis Goss, O?Connor, Lang and Smith kept the score at a respectable level but at the final whistle City were well beaten.

City do not have a game this Saturday due to F.A. Cup fixtures.

City: Dave Hook, Andy Darnton, ,Pete Smith, Dave Goss, Stewart Lang, Wes O?Connor, Lloyd Webber, Sam Cockerell, Mark Gamble, Tom Vaurecka, James Davis, Substitutes Chris Flood (54th), Richard Mealey (64th) Dan Wakefield (46th) and Mark Zawadski.