WINCHESTER City have rewarded one of their brightest young prospects with an 18-month contract.

While 29-goal striker Warren Bentley has grabbed all the headlines, defender Rob Flooks has quietly been doing an outstanding job at the other end of the field.

A former Sholing and AFC Totton reserve player, Flooks broke into first-team football with Fawley AFC in the Sydenhams Wessex League and was quickly snapped up by Eastleigh where he won the reserve team players’ player-of-the-year award.

He went on to captain Steve Riley’s young AFC Totton team in the Southern League before joining Winchester during the summer.

After conceding five goals in their first away game of the season at Wimborne – albeit in a 6-5 victory – City have learned to become more resilient on the road.

Flooks’s strength and composure has been a pivotal and, week by week, he impresses manager Masters more.

“If I’m totally honest, I didn’t know too much about Flooksy, but he’s been outstanding ever since he’s been at the club,” said the boss.

“He’s good on the ball as well as being a proper defender.

“Every game he’s played he’s been one of our best players.

“At 21, he’s still a young age for a centre-half and, if he keeps his feet on the ground, he should have a good future ahead of him.

“Over the last month his partnership with Jamie Thoroughgood has been very strong. People don’t talk too much about Jamie but he’s another one who’s been outstanding.

“Leigh Mills has done a good job covering the full-back areas for us with Jake Newton and Kinger (Danny King) and the whole shape of the side is looking good.

“We’ll always score goals but, away from home, we’re starting to learn what we’ve got to do.”

After a reasonably straightforward 4-1 win at Burnham on Monday, Masters expects a tougher test for his third-placed side at Larkhall Athletic on Saturday in the Southern One South & West.

The Bath-based outfit sit tenth, six points behind City, and have lost just one of their six home league games this term.

King returns, but newly-wed forward Dan Cann is unavailable and Dutch loanee Bouwe Bosma has gone back to Eastbourne Borough.

Lewis Fennemore, City’s new midfielder from Moneyfields, should again be on the bench having debuted as a sub at Burnham. He will have a run-out for the reserves tonight.