WINCHESTER City are without holidaying top gun Warren Bentley for tomorrow's (Wednesday's) Southern One South & West visit of Marlow.

The 25-year-old marksman started the season in prolific fashion, hitting five in the 7-2 destruction of Bridgwater followed by another four in a 6-5 rollercoaster victory at Wimborne.

Bizarrely, Winchester were then held 0-0 at Yate on Saturday but, in its own way, that clean sheet was every bit as pleasing as the Wimborne win.

Manager Paul Masters, who missed the first three games while away on a cruise, said: “I was at sea when we played Wimborne and woke up to a text from a mate saying Bentley had got another four but he bet the manager went mental at the scoreline!

“I’d watched Wimborne play and knew they kept two widemen high up the field, so I was expecting a match full of goals, but I didn’t expect us to concede five!

“We’d defended well in pre-season so it was good that, after what happened at Wimborne, the lads showed they could knuckle down and keep a clean sheet.”

City rang the rearguard changes at Yate with skipper Leigh Mills returning from holiday and 19-year-old former Basingstoke Town goalkeeper Brendan Norris replacing Samuel Somerville, who has now been released.

“Samuel played a couple of games, but it wasn’t working out and we’ve let him go early so he can find himself a new club,” Masters explained. “Brendan’s young, but he’s a positive keeper and I’m happy to be going with him.”

Losing Bentley for tomorrow and Saturday’s trip to Evesham United is not ideal, but Masters said: “One thing we did do in the summer was make sure we had more options in that area. Last year we were a bit too reliant on Warren and Zach Glasspool.

“Warren’s a schoolteacher so he can only take his holidays at a certain time, but he’ll come back fit and raring to go.”

Defender Jamie Thoroughgood, a junior doctor, may also be missing tomorrow, but City have good cover in Mills and Rob Flooks. Midfielder Micky Hubbard returns to the reckoning after suspension.

While newly-promoted Winchester sit third with seven points, AFC Totton – away to Larkhall Athletic tomorrow –are labouring on one point from three games.

Admitting his frustration, manager Steve Hollick said: “You look at the players we’ve got and the way we’re trying to play, we haven’t really hit the peaks of pre-season.

“We came into the league thinking we’d take that form from pre-season into the campaign.

“Unfortunately we didn’t face a Southern League-type side in pre-season.

“The reality is starting to hit that we need to roll up our sleeves and work a little harder.”