WINCHESTER City head for Taunton Town on Saturday sitting six points behind the Evo-Stik South West table-toppers in fourth spot.

That gap would have been far smaller but for two galling finishes at home to Bristol Manor Farm and Paulton Rovers in the last six days.

Having conceded twice in the last eight minutes against The Farm last Saturday to lose 2-1, the Citizens suffered another late choker on Tuesday when Paulton salvaged a last-minute 1-1 draw.

“It’s been a case of what might have been over the last two games,” reflected manager Craig Davis.

“We didn’t play very well on Tuesday, it was a bit of flat game, but we went ahead (through Rob Carr) and then didn’t capitalise on it.

“They piled on some pressure second half which we didn’t really deal with, so I made some changes to shore it up and it worked.

"We were countering on them well, but then came the last-minute sucker punch of a superb volley from nowhere.”

It was a tough pill to swallow, but Davis is determined to keep looking on the bright side.

“We’re fourth and we’d probably have settled for that at the start of the season,” he said.

“We’re clearly doing something right as a group to be where we are in spite of these disappointments.

“We can go to Taunton with confidence.

“Looking on a bigger scale rather than just the last three or four games, we’re up there up for a reason.

“Taunton will be fancied to get a result, but we know what they’re about and we’ll give it a right good go.

“We’re good away from home and we won’t go there and sit back, it’s not our style.”

Jamie Barron is back available and City hope striker Pat Cox will get the all-clear after missing Tuesday's match with a broken finger.

Joe Hayward (groin) and Simba Mlambo (shoulder) are doubts and Davis admitted: “We’re a bit light at the moment, but I’m not going to start bleating about unavailabilities.

“We haven’t got the funds to carry a massive squad, but it gives us an opportunity to use some of the young lads. Josh McCormick, Josh Corner and Harvey Clark have all been involved.”

Young Clark and Riccardo Andrady were on target as a youthful City reserves side beat AFC Portchester 2-0 in the Wyvern Midweek Division.