WINCHESTER City put two nightmare Sydenhams Premier defeats behind them to hit Bemerton Heath Harlequins for six at the Denplan City ground this afternoon.

Fast-starting City had successive shots by Zach Glasspool and Warren Bentley charged down in the fourth minute before Scott Joyce’s effort for Bemerton deflected upwards and keeper Gareth Barfoot tipped it over for a corner, writes WENDY GEE.

Winchester showed most of the early promise and earned a corner of their own in the seventh minute when Bentley had had the ball nicked off his toes after turning in space inside the area.

Micky Hubbard delivered the kick which the visitors cleared only as far as the edge of a packed penalty area and BENTLEY managed to curl the ball through the eye of a needle to put Winchester in front.

Good work by Geoff Dunn, a bright spark on the left, earned City another left-wing corner on 17 minutes. Again Hubbard took it, delivering to the back stick where Jamie Thoroughgood’s header was turned behind for another flag kick but nothing came of it.

Some of Winchester’s free-flowing attacking play was a delight to watch and Bemerton diced with death on 20 minutes when they allowed Adam Tomasso’s cross to bounce dangerously around the six-yard box before Aaron Cook finally knocked it back for keeper Max Frampton to deal with.

Heath responded with a goal-bound strike by Jack Eaves which was expertly turned away by Barfoot.

After the blow of successive league defeats by Whitchurch and Totton & Eling there was a real buzz about Winchester – and Dunn in particular – and it was the ex-Eastleigh youngster who set up their second goal on 26 minutes.

Surging into the area from the left, Dunn skipped past a couple of challenges before squaring for the deadly BENTLEY to slot home.

Winchester then had a penalty appeal turned down for a shove on Tomasso after Bentley had delivered a high ball in from the right.

With two of the opening 45 minutes remaining, Bemerton’s former Salisbury City skipper Cook pulled away from his marker to meet Eaves’ free kick at the far post, bnt his header was off target.

Whatever half-time plans Bemerton made went out of the window inside two second-half minutes as Winchester made it 3-0.

Glasspool sent in an inviting free kick from the right and DOM COPE was up from left-back to steer it home from close-range.

City almost profited from another Glasspool delivery, this time from the left, but Bentley headed just over.

The rampant hosts needn’t have worried, however, as two goals in three minutes by the livewire DUNN soon had them five goals up.

First the pacey no.11 headed over Frampton after Chris Mason had picked him out.

Then he had the simple job of tapping over the line after Frampton could only parry successive shots from Taz Roberts and Tomasso.

The Harlequins kept battling, but Joyce had no joy beating Barfoot at his near post in the 73rd minute. Frampton then saved well to deny Bentley his hat-trick after determined play by sub Danilo Cadete on the right and then the crossbar came to Bemerton’s rescue after another City sub, Charlie Smeeton, had let fly.

Barfoot denied Jack Slade with his legs and again got the better of the Heath skipper as they challenged for an awkward high ball.

Cadete then missed a clear chance to make it six in 89th minute, his shot flying wildly over.

But Winchester’s half-dozen was completed in stoppage time when Cadete teed-up Bentley. His shot was pushed away by Frampton and substitute Liam ROBINSON scored with virtually the last kick of the game.