WINCHESTER City boss Paul Masters declared Saturday’s 4-1 win at Larkhall Athletic as “a big result in the development of the team.”

After doggedly holding their ground in a goalless first-half, City flourished as an attacking force after the break as goals by Jamie Thoroughgood, Zach Glasspool and the irrepressible Warren Bentley (2) kept them four points off top spot in the Southern One South & West with a game in hand.

“The first half was quite tight with not many chances, but we stuck with it and were the better side,” said Masters, “We had to win the battle first, which we did, and then we carved them open in the second half. It was a really good team performance.

“We looked a proper side today and it was a big result in the development of the team.

“We’re learning how to win games away from home.”

Jamie Barron was the architect of City’s first two goals, first crossing for defender Jamie Thoroughgood to head in the 50th-minute opener and then delivering a free-kick, just three minutes later, from which Bentley nodded home his 30th goal of a prolific season.

Matt Benham found Zach Glasspool in space to make it 3-0 from 12 yards and, although Dean Griffiths pulled one back for the Larks, that man Bentley had the last word from Glasspool’s assist.

Aside from a Bentley header superbly tipped over by home keeper Kane Mannings, the main first-half talking point was Masters and his opposite number Wayne Thorne being dismissed from their respective dugouts.

“It was handbags really,” said Masters.  “We’d had Kinger (Danny King) caught by a late tackle and Taz caught by a late tackle and now they were trying to get Taz sent off.

“Both managers got sent to the stand just before half-time and the team did better without me!”

The other black mark on an otherwise superb afternoon for City was losing injury-jinxed full-back Danny King to another ankle problem.

“It wasn’t his bad ankle, it was the other one,” said Masters. “It’s a bad twist and he’ll be out for a couple of weeks, but he’s suspended for the next game in any case.

“The good news is that Jake Newton went on and got another 80 minutes under his belt. We didn’t risk him to start, but he replaced Kinger early on and played very well.”

Winchester will give some of their squad players a runout at AFC Totton on Tuesday evening (7.45pm) in the Red Insure Cup.