WINCHESTER City and Totton & Eling were the big winners on a significant night at both ends of the Sydenhams Premier Division.

Winchester’s stop-start 1-0 victory at Newport IoW wasn’t particularly gripping but that result, combined with Moneyfields’ shock 2-0 defeat at bottom club Totton & Eling, means Paul Masters’s men are up to second on goal difference, a point behind leaders Petersfield having played two games more.

City’s winner arrived shortly before half-time when, in trying to deal with Liam Robinson’s cross, Port’s Ryan Oatley found his own net.

Winchester’s director of football Dave Malone admitted: “It was a scrappy game but, at this stage of the season, it’s results that matter and that was our seventh win in a row.

“I don’t usually complain about referees but this one stopped the game about every 20 seconds and he’s taken seven or eight names when there was hardly a bad tackle in it. Both sets of club officials complained at the end.”

Moneyfields missed the chance to go top, beaten by a goal in each half from T&E’s Carlos Geteski and Steve Jenkin at Miller Park.

Both Totton defender Danny Steer and Moneys striker Steve Hutchings were booked in a feisty first half and, with hostilities continuing between the pair after the break, Hutchings was sent off for a second yellow.

“For the first ten minutes of the second half Moneyfields gave it everything they had, but we weathered the storm and played really well and Hutchings’ sending-off was a turning point,” said T&E co-boss Andy Tipp. “It was a nice response after a poor performance against Alresford on Saturday and it showed we’ve got some fight.”

T&E are just four points behind second-to-bottom Fareham Town who visit Miller Park this Saturday for a relegation six-pointer.

Fareham were soundly beaten 5-1 at Horndean tonight. Town’s George Davis netted one of the goals of the game, but the Deans ran riot through Nathan Paxton (2), Gary Austin (2) and Lewis Stockford.

Bournemouth Poppies boosted their survival chances by ending a five-match losing streak 3-1 at Andover Town. Sam Pekun scored twice and Diop Evans once before Danny Urry bagged Town’s late reply. It was Poppies’ first win of 2015.

PETERSFIELD Town remain on course to avenge last season’s Sydenhams League Cup final defeat.

Ian Saunders’s men are through to the final again after eclipsing Bemerton HH 4-2 at Arlebury Park.

The Rams quickly atoned for slipping into arrears at the start of the second half as Robbie Tambling (2) and Ash Howes fired them 3-1 up. Bemerton hit back from the penalty spot before Town’s Jake Slater had the last word.

Petersfield await the winners of next Tuesday’s (March 17) second semi-final between Blackfield & Langley and AFC Portchester at Cams Alders, Fareham.

It could be a sparkling season for the Love Lane club who remain top of the Sydenhams Premier Division and are also through to the Portsmouth Senior Cup final against Havant & Waterlooville.