BUBBLING BAT wiped the smiles off the faces of FA Vase semi-finalists Winchester City with a famous 2-1 win at Southern Gardens last night.

A week after knocking Eastleigh out of the Russell Cotes Cup, the Tobaccomen again showed no respect for big-name reputations as they inflicted a first away league defeat on the would-be Wessex champions.

The only other team to have beaten City in the league this season are table-topping Wimborne Town and their delighted manager Paul Arnold was the first on the phone at the final whistle.

BAT boss Andy Leader grinned: "Arnie rang to say thanks and said the champagne and lager is on its way."

Although City still have three games in hand over the Magpies, they have a substantial eight-point gap to close on the Dorset side going into their busiest spell of the season.

Not only have they got a two-legged Vase semi-final coming up against Bideford next month, but City are also in the semis of the Wessex and Russell Cotes Cups.

Although 64-goal Andy Forbes was rested because of calf problems, City had a stack of early chances with skipper Danny Smith hitting the post and Kevin Brewster twice going close.

Yet it was BAT who snatched the lead after 20 minutes when Dave Roberts was tugged back by Toby Redwood and converted his 18th goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Winchester bombarded the Tobaccomen at the start of the second half and from a free-kick awarded for obstruction, Shaun Dyke laid the ball off to Smith whose thunderbolt strike crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

As the game wore on, City pushed more and more bodies forward and they were floored by an injury-time sucker punch.

Richard Gregory took off from inside his own half and sped past a defender before burying his 24th goal of the campaign.

Ironically the teenage striker was offered the chance to join City earlier this season but turned them down.

Leader said: "I didn't think it could get any better than beating Eastleigh, but it was a different sort of performance tonight.

"Against Eastleigh we coped with everything they could throw at us, whereas tonight we rode our luck a bit and died for the cause. Winchester went for broke at the end and we caught them on the break."

Winchester's director of football David Malone acknowledged: "BAT battled and gave everything they'd got, but we should have been two or three up in the first 20 minutes."