IT was a case of so near and yet so far for Winchester City yesterday.

Victory over Bristol Manor Farm would have leapfrogged them above their high-flying visitors into second spot in the Evo-Stik South West.

And with less than ten minutes remaining, the Citizens were sitting pretty, still leading by Oli Bailey’s well-taken 55th-minute strike.

But losing Bailey (ankle) and speedy winger Rob Carr (Achilles) to injury was the first double blow of the afternoon and it was swiftly followed by another as The Farm struck twice in the last eight minutes to return home to Bristol as 2-1 victors.

Prior to his exit, Bailey had had another decent chance saved one-on-one by Ashley Clark in the visitors’ goal.

But, with time running out, Manor Farm piled on the pressure and got their reward when Robbie Stamp levelled on 82 minutes.

Before they knew what had hit them, Winchester conceded again – Aaron Robbins cashing in after a corner had not been dealt with.

Describing his emotions as “extreme frustration”, City boss Craig Davis lamented: “They nicked an equaliser and we sat back a bit to try and close it out, but we couldn’t turn the tide.

"It was a scrappy winner with a corner headed up in the air, their lad’s smashed it and it’s hit a lad on the knee and gone in.

“We were the best side for 75 minutes, but they took off three defensive players, put on three attacking players and piled on the pressure.

“It’s a hard defeat to take, the manner of it, but we’ve got a chance to bounce back at home to Paulton Rovers on Tuesday (7.45pm) and a win would take us third.

“Unfortunately Oli and Rob were both feeling injuries on Saturday and had to come off, but I think they will be okay for Tuesday.”

Adam Tomasso will be back in the squad after suspension, but Jamie Barron and Andy Jenkinson are again unavailable.

Paulton, down in 20th, defied their lowly league position by pushing Paul Doswell’s Sutton United all the way in FA Cup yesterday, eventually exiting 3-2.

*LOWLY Gosport Borough felt the backlash of one of non-League football’s most extraordinary fightbacks.

Borough’s hosts, Merthyr Town, were still licking their wounds after letting slip a 4-0 lead to lose 5-4 to Slough Town in the Evo-Stik South Premier.

And Merthyr – who included former Eastleigh frontman Stuart Fleetwood in their side – took out their midweek frustrations by battering basement boys Borough 5-0 on Saturday through Ian Traynor (2), Eliot Richards, Ashley Evans, Corey Jenkins.

Gosport, 2-0 down inside five minutes, remain bottom of the table with just one point from 13 games.