TYRELL Mitford made it three goals in three games to fire Winchester City into the FA Cup first qualifying round at the expense of Sydenhams Premier underdogs Bournemouth Poppies.
Entertainment-wise, it wasn't much to write home about, but the 1-0 result was all that mattered for the Citizens.
Poppies squandered several first-half chances while Simba Mlambo missed a sitter for City.
Winchester finally got their breakthrough on 81 minutes when Jamie Barron was brought down and, although Mitford’s penalty was saved, he was alert to bury the rebound.
“It was a bitty performance. We struggled to come to terms with the way they play,” admitted City boss Craig Davis.
“They’ve got a big lad who launches throw-ins from the halfway line. I’ve never seen anything like it. The only saving grace is that he wasn’t in the box to get on the end of them!
“It was a horrible game, but credit to Bournemouth, they battled hard.
“They went berserk when the penalty was awarded, but Jamie Barron normally takes our pens and couldn’t, so that’s how bad it (the foul) was.”
City, will again be without Liam Gilbert (Achilles) and Rob Carr (honeymoon) for tomorrow's EvoStik Division One South trip to Moneyfields, but new signing Brett Cunningham, a young wide player signed from Farnborough, goes straight into the squad.
Salisbury crushed two-leagues lower Hamble Club 6-0 through Tom Whelan, George Colson, Pablo Haysham, debutant Jack Stanley and Zack Kotwica (2).
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