BASHLY boss Steve Riley is as mystified as Winchester City about reports linking striker Richard Gillespie with a move to the Wessex League title chasers.

"I wouldn't discuss selling Gilly with anyone," he stressed. "I don't want to lose Richard Gillespie - no one here would.

"He's vital to us and he's one of the first names on the team sheet.

"The only talks I've had with Steve Tate (Winchester manager) were about the possibility of them releasing a couple of players."

The beauty of Saturday's 3-1 home win over Croydon Athletic was that it was achieved without four players Riley would also consider first-team regulars.

Neil Morant, Jimmy Anderson, Josh Thomas and Riley himself were all ruled out by injury or illness as the Foresters fought back from behind to climb to 11th.

"All credit to the lads," said Riley. "Croydon are a decent footballing side with a good targetman, but again Matt Parnell and Paul Gazzard were towers of strength in the middle of defence."

Croydon took the lead on 68 minutes when Matt Howard turned in the rebound after a shot had hit the post.

It was former player-manager Dave Wakefield who got the fightback under way from the penalty spot after his trickery on the right had forced a foul.

Steele Saunders' cross-shot put Bash in front with six minutes to go, by which time Wakefield had been switched to the left wing and replaced by substitute Sayem Kabir on the right.

The move paid dividends deep into stoppage time when Kabir played in Andy Culliford, whose shot on the angle was hit with such venom that it bounced off the underside of the bar and back up into the top corner.

l Sam Carter's cracking strike proved the highlight of Lymington & New Milton's 2-2 draw at Whyteleafe.

The former Eastleigh wide man ventured forward and, without breaking stride, caught the ball brilliantly on the volley to fire the Linnets ahead on 13 minutes.

Within two minutes Leafe were level courtesy of a Lee Sidwell header and they edged ahead on 56 minutes through Leigh Douce.

But the Linnets also made short work of levelling with John Mulhern sliding the ball home after good work by young Ben Krauss.

"It was very much a point gained," summed up Linnets boss Ian Robinson. "Whyteleafe are an uncompromising side and it was a difficult surface to play on.

"It was quite icy down one side and if we hadn't travelled so far, the ref might have called it off."

Linnets have lined up a friendly tomorrow at Salisbury City.