CO-BOSS Danny Robinson felt Sydenhams Wessex title hopefuls Winchester City learned some valuable lessons in tonight’s 3-2 Hampshire FA Senior Cup second round win at AFC Totton.

Although City led 3-0 at one point, Southern League hosts Totton dominated the early stages and came strong again towards the end in front of a 170-strong Testwood Stadium crowd.

“Totton are a fast side who go from back to front very quickly and, for the 15 minutes, we struggled to deal with it,” Robinson admitted.

“But it was a great learning curve for us, a great yardstick of where we are against a side who play Southern League football week in, week out.”

Having absorbed the early pressure, Winchester took command with Warren Bentley striking first from the penalty spot following a foul on Ben Stanbrook.

Bentley then conjured up the goal of the night, beating two players on the edge of the box and steadying himself before bending the ball into the bottom corner.

Zach Glasspool got the third, bursting through and executing a neat dinked finish, but, from a position of comfort, City were up against it in the closing stages.

The referee awarded Totton a penalty on the say-so of his linesman and, although ex-Stags ’keeper Ross Casey kept out Liam Gilbert’s effort, Nathaniel Sherborne was first to the follow-up.

American midfielder Kyle O’Brien then made it 3-2 with Robinson admitting: “It felt like forever waiting for the final whistle. One thing we do have to learn when we get ourselves in front is to see out the game better.

“But to come away and beat a side sitting fifth in the Southern League (South & West) and with no injuries is pleasing.”

Blackfield & Langley marched into the last 16 with a 4-1 win over Waterside neighbours Fawley AFC.

After a goalless first half at Gang Warily, Dave Ewen and Jake Rowley put Blackfield two up before Dane Sayce replied. A cracker from Rowley and a fourth from Danilo Cadete saw Blackfield through.

Petersfield Town continued their magnificent start to the season, beating a young Aldershot Town side 5-2 at Love Lane thanks to Andy Todd’s hat-trick and singles from Dan Thompson and Ashley Howes.

Sydenhams One side Team Solent stunned Southern League outfit Bashley 2-1 at Bashley Road through a Jesse Waller-Lassen penalty and Mark Jordan.

Leighton Speechley-Price hit back for Bash and the game remained on a knife-edge during a long second-half held up by a serious knee injury to Bash sub Shivan Roushbaiani.

There was an even bigger shock at The Soccer AM Stadium where Cup holders Basingstoke Town were dumped out by Sydenhams One outfit Tadley Calleva. It was 2-2 after 90 minutes and Calleva won 5-4 on penalties.

Hythe & Dibden crashed 4-0 at Lymington Town with manager Lee Burch filling in as emergency goalkeeper. Brad Strickland, Jake Bockhart, Carlo Tate and James Davis got Lymo’s goals.

Havant & Waterlooville brushed Combined Counties League outfit Eversley & California aside 5-0 at Westleigh Park through JJ Hooper (2), Shamir Mullings (2) and Alek Przespolewski.

.