WINCHESTER City manager Paul Masters set his side’s sights on catching leaders Whitchurch after their second-half demolition of Verwood Town.

Verwood led at half-time through a 37th-minute Jordan Fisk goal, but Warren Bentley equalised from the penalty spot as Winchester hit back with four goals in 15 minutes.

Bentley, who now has 24 goals from 21 games this season, then provided a back-heeled assist for two-goal Zach Glasspool, who also scored with a free-kick Winchester also scored through Scott Sampson and a cross-come-shot by Adam Roberts. They now have 12 goals in two games following their recent seven-goal thrashing of Brockenhurst, who bounced back with a 3-0 win at leaders Whitchurch – whose lead over Winchester has now been cut to nine points.

Following his third game as Winchester manager, Paul Masters, pictured below, said: “We’re taking every game as it comes but now we need to go on an unbeaten run to get back in the title mix.

“We were ten per cent off the pace in the first half but came out and played really well. After equalising 20 minutes into the second half, there was only going to be one winner.

“We ground them down.”

Meanwhile, Verwood boss Carl Poore was furious with some of the decisions made against his side.

“Take nothing away from Winchester, they deserved their victory, but if the officials had got their decisions right, we would have been 2-0 up against nine men,” he said.

“Nine times out of ten, you would not expect us to beat them but when the opportunity arises you need decisions to go your way. The referee did not get many correct and it cost us.

“Some of the calls were just mind-boggling. They got on top of the referee and we did not do enough of that. Maybe we should.

“I do not like the idea of it but we are scrapping away at the wrong end of the table. If officials are going to buckle in that manner then we have to make sure we are on the right end of it.

“Winchester are a big club with a big reputation and they ran the game. If they can get away with it, why can’t we?”

Winchester’s fringe players will be given a run-out when they play local rivals Winchester Castle in the North Hampshire Cup at the Denplan tomorrow night (7.45pm).