LIAM Gilbert’s value to Winchester City was underlined yesterday as his return to starting action coincided with a superb 4-1 home victory over Yate Town.

After ten weeks out with a foot problem, Gilbert was his usual dependable self as goals from Oli Bailey, Jamie Barron, Adam Tomasso and sub Simba Mlambo kept 11th-placed City seven points outside the Evo-Stik South West play-off zone with a couple of games in hand.

Alas for the Citizens, Gilbert will be missing again for Tuesday's big cathedral city derby away at second-placed Salisbury.

Away from men’s football, he is progressing well in the women’s game having recently been appointed joint coach of Oxford United’s development team.

“Gilly’s performance on Saturday showed how much we missed him while he was out,” said Winchester boss Craig Davis.

“He’s not around tomorrow. He runs the ladies’ team in Oxford and this was a commitment he already had, so you can’t odds it.

“(Defender) Joe Cook, who has had nine weeks out injured, came on for 20 minutes or so and it was good to have him back too. I expect it will be a couple of games before he is properly ready.”

In a week that saw Winchester part company with targetman Pat Cox, Davis was delighted to see his team translate some excellent training sessions into a top-notch performance on the pitch.

They took the lead from a wellworked free-kick finished off by Bailey and deservedly doubled it when Dan Williamson’s strike across goal teed up Barron.

Rob Carr hit a thunderbolt against the crossbar after the break before Tomasso’s header made it 3-0.

Substitute Simba Mlambo claimed City’s fourth after a great overlapping run and cross by Danny King.

Yate’s Trey Anderson clawed back a consolation goal with ten minutes remaining, but it could not tarnish the Citizens’ day.

“We changed the shape of the team and the style of play and a lot of things we’d worked on in training came to fruition on the pitch against a good Yate side,” smiled Davis.