CENTRAL defender Scott Sampson has left Winchester City to return to his old club Newport IoW.

Sampson was one of a handful of players drafted in mid-season to bolster City’s Sydenhams Premier title push, but his move from the Island hasn’t worked out.

He made just eight Wessex appearances for the third-placed Citizens, scoring two goals.

“Scott’s a good lad and there are no hard feelings, but it hasn’t worked out for both parties,” said Winchester manager Paul Masters.

“He’s got a young family and travelling from the Island made things difficult.”

Newport’s results have been in decline in recent weeks and Sampson – a Sydenhams Premier winner with Blackfield two seasons ago – has been welcomed back into the Island fold with open arms.

Manager Steve Brougham said: “Scott is a great signing for us. With his winning mentality, we’ll be a better team for it.

“If we’re going to do well in the Wessex Premier League, we’re going to need players like Scott.”

Newport have also announced that chairman Paul Phelps has resigned for personal reasons after seven years at the St George’s Park helm.

Senior officials will look after the club before a permanent appointment can be made.

Newport, without a victory in six league games, tonight visit second-to-bottom Fareham Town who have finally learned how to win again.

After getting themselves back on track with a 7-1 demolition job on Christchurch, Matt Parr’s team made it six points out of six with a 2-0 beating of Bemerton.

Ash Tattersall and Bradey Norton got the goals and keeper Luke Douglas was named man-of-the-match for two excellent saves that denied Jack Slade and Scott Joyce early on and some late heroics when he tipped Aaron Cook’s free kick onto the bar.

Parr’s right-hand man Shaun Coles admitted : “I took more out of today’s win against useful opposition than the thrashing we gave out (to Christchurch) on Tuesday.

“We still have a lot of work to do to get out of the position we put ourselves in, but the past three games have given us a platform to build on.”

With Christchurch not playing again until Saturday, victory for Fareham tonight would hoist them above Priory.