WIMBORNE Town blew the Sydenhams Wessex League championship race wide open again last night when they inflicted only the second defeat of the season on defending champions Winchester City.

City, who thrashed second-placed Gosport Borough 5-0 on Saturday, slipped up 3-2 against the Magpies at The Cuthbury.

Wimborne chairman Nick O'Hara smiled: "It was a great game that could have gone either way as we were under a lot of pressure right at the end.

"It's an excellent result and it's nice to be able to stop the top team from running away with it."

The Magpies stunned the visitors with two quick-fire strikes four minutes before half-time.

On 41 minutes Stuart Cannie rifled home from 20 yards before Gareth Barnes netted from the penalty spot after Ian Buckman had brought down Chris Kennedy.

City pulled a goal back after 55 minutes when Jamie Laidlaw headed in a Mark Smith cross but, two minutes later, the Magpies restored their two-goal advantage when Paul Roast nodded home Marcus Oldbury's corner.

Lloyd Webber set up a frantic final ten minutes by grabbing City's second following a neat one-two with Laidlaw.

However, tensions boiled over three minutes into stoppage time when Winchester's Toby Redwood was sent off following a clash with Barnes and Magpies' substitute Gary Clark was also dismissed for running 40 yards to get involved in the scuffle.