PAT Cox has backed himself to score 40 goals for Winchester City this season.

And on recent evidence you wouldn’t bet against it.

After bagging four against East Cowes in the Hampshire Senior Cup, he took just three minutes to add to that tally against Mangotsfield United in the Evo-Stik South West yesterday.

While it’s true to say that Winchester made hard work of building on Cox’s sublime volleyed finish before eventually running out 3-0 winners, it was evident that chances should never be in short supply this season for the confident No10 and his City teammates.

Late strikes from Rob Carr and Oli Bailey crowned an ultimately handsome victory against the ten-man Mangos with City boss Craig Davis summing up: “We’ve got a lot of pace and creativity in the side and I don’t think anyone could deny we’re playing a good brand of football.

“Cox’s goals the other night propelled him on and it was a fantastic finish from him. The only frustration was that we could have done with a second and third goal earlier.

“Their 'keeper made some good saves, but our finishing was poor and we have to be better than that.

“But that’s ten goals for Coxy already – it’s what he does.

“He’s quite brash and people might call it a bit arrogant that he’s publicly stated he wants 40 goals, but the lads have really taken to him.”

It’s no coincidence in Davis’s book that Cox’s impressive haul of five goals in five days coincided with the return of his fit-again sidekick Bailey.

The diminutive frontman gave the 161 crowd a flavour of what they had been missing when, with just a couple of minutes remaining, he outmuscled a defender nearly twice his size to lash home City’s third.

That followed a composed finish by ex-Fleet winger Carr, another shining light in Davis’s new-look Winchester side.

“If the manager’s a midfielder, teams generally play the ball round a bit and we do try to do that,” said Davis.

“But we can also mix things up with Coxy there as a target.

“We’d been without Oli for six games after he’d started the season like a train and to have scored six and then three goals with him and Coxy back together says a lot.”

Mangotsfield committed a string of first-half fouls and it was no great shock when defender Josh Jones got his stoppage-time marching orders for a second yellow card.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen a game with so many fouls,” marvelled Davis. “The lad who got sent off committed one after the other and I don’t think they could have any complaints. It was ridiculous he was still on the pitch.

“Even at 11 v 11, we created chance after chance and it was nice that two of the main culprits for missing them, Rob and Oli, got their goals.

“We have to be more clinical, I have said this too many times now. However, we played some delightful football at times and I’m really happy with the result.”

Davis hopes to be smiling again on Tuesday (7.45pm) when seventh-placed City make the trip to Didcot Town.

Winchester City: Ryan Pryce, Dan Williamson, Danny King, Adam Tomasso, Rob Flooks, Josh Harfield, Simba Mlambo (Andy Jenkinson, 67), Jamie Barron, Oli Bailey (Ben White, 89), Pat Cox, Rob Carr (IK Hill, 89). Subs (not used): Craig Davis, Joe Hayward.

Referee: Ben Knight.

Attendance: 161.