British Gas Business Southern League South and West Division 1

WINCHESTER CITY 4 CHESHAM UNITED 0

CITY HOME AND DRY

Needing 1 point to mathematically avoid relegation City coasted home with two in hand on a cold and windy night at the Denplan City Stadium last night.

Fielding their third different goalkeeper in three games, on this occasion Alan Walker-Harris took the vacant berth between the posts, Winchester were never in trouble against a side pushing for a play-off place.

Phil Cousins set up the first chance of the match with a run and cross which was just over the bar. Ian Mancey chested down the next chance and fed Cousins who forced the keeper into pushing the ball over the bar.

It was Mancey who created the first opening when he controlled a cross and laid the ball into the path of Mark Gamble who opened the scoring in the 19th minute with one of his textbook goals, slicing his shot across the keeper and into the far corner.

City dominated the attacking play for the rest of the half. Tom Vavrecka headed the ball down for Lloyd Webber who was wide of the post with a powerful shot. Gamble set up pete Smith who worked his way into the box but his shot was blocked.

In a rare breakaway Chesham forced their way through and Walker-Harris came off his line and looked to have
been beaten to the shot but he managed to smother the ball and clear.

City scored the 'killer' goal right on half time when a good move resulted in Mancey netting with a shot that left the keeper grasping thin air with the ball in the back of the net.

City started the second half on the attack, Mancey was fouled and Smith put the free kick deep into the penalty area but unfortunately Sean Thurgood just failed to reach the ball when well placed.

Chesham now enjoyed a period of pressure with the spotlight falling on the City defence. Francis Doland, Mark Jones and Thurgood were rock-steady and with Webber and Champion controlling midfield Walker-Harris had very few direct shots to deal with and those that came his way were dealt with well. On the hour Smith who had taken quite a few knocks, was replaced by Danny Wakefield and just after the change City went three up. Jones put Gamble through and he duplicated his first shot with the same result for his second goal (61st).

With the game won Manager Steve Moss replaced Mancey ith Jamie Musselwhite in the 75th minute and Vavrecka for Martin Beck in the 80th.

Again after the change City consolidated their position when Musselwhite did some fine work in the box and crossed for the ball for it to be bundled to the edge of the area where Cousins picked it up and fired in the fourth goal (81st).

City are at home to on Saturday to Burnham.

City: Alan Walker-Harris, Francis Dolan, Mark Jones, Phil Cousins, Sean Thurgood, Lloyd Webber, Tom Vavrecka, Neil Champion, Pete Smith, Ian Mancey, Mark Gamble, Substitute: Jamie Musselwhite, Martin Beck, Melvin Rogers, Danny Wakefield.