Winchester City have increased their already awesome fire-power by signing Fleet Town goal machine Ian Mancey.

Fuelled by the scoring prowess of former Andover hot-shot Andy Forbes, the club have already netted 58 times in 14 games en route to the Hampshire Premier Division summit.

But City are hungry for Vase success too and have wrapped up Mancey's signing in time for him to face Brockenhurst in the third round proper at Grigg Lane on Saturday week (December 7).

Mancey's departure will come as a huge blow to Dr Martens Eastern Division strugglers Fleet, who have been without last season's 40-plus-goal top scorer for nearly three months because of suspension.

Although the towering frontman wasn't under contract at Calthorpe Park, Fleet looked after him financially during his long ban and, as a gesture of goodwill, the 31-year-old will play one last game for them at Bournemouth Poppies tonight in the Russell Cotes Cup.

City's director of football David Malone admitted: "Ian's departure will no doubt cause some ructions up there - they even wrote to us asking us not to take him.

"But Fleet took Stuart Findlay off us earlier in the season without giving seven days' notice of approach, whereas we've done everything properly."

Mancey, who made his name as a prolific Ryman League marksman with Basingstoke Town, joined Fleet last November from Cove and played a major part in getting them promoted from the Wessex League.

He joins a Winchester side containing Steve Beeks, the man who signed him for both Cove and Fleet.