THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW – WINCHESTER CITY (AWAY) KO 3.00PM

The FA Trophy takes Dulwich Hamlet westwards toward the Wessex wold to face the Citizens of Winchester.

The early rounds of the Buildbase FA Trophy must seem to many fans like some glorified League Cup competition with familiarity oft breeding contempt and trip down the local hostelry to watch the professional prima donnas preferable to yet another trip to Harrow Borough’s Earlsmead. But then once in a while the magic fingers at the FA pull out a prize plum from their velvet sack and grant the fans their wish of an away day in pastures new. Not for five years has the draw for this competition sent Dulwich west when the long trek to Bideford resulted in a disappointing display and a single goal defeat, though local hospitality could not be bettered. Prior to that there had been outings to Mangotsfield United, Cinderford Town and Cirencester with predominantly joyous outcomes and eye-opening experiences, but never have Dulwich Hamlet taken the trip to Winchester, ancient capital of the West Saxons and city of kings and priests.

Seat of King Alfred, the city boasts medieval Winchester Cathedral at its heart and the Great Hall of Winchester Castle wherein hangs a medieval Round Table linked by the romanticists to the legendary King Arthur. However, this Saturday it is a more tangible Holy Grail for which the modern-day knights of the football field continue their quest. For the battlefield of Camlann substitute Winchester City’s Denplan City Ground, for said Grail, the Buildbase FA Trophy.

While for Dulwich Hamlet this stage of the competition is no stranger having narrowly lost in the 2nd Round proper (last 32) to National League Guiseley last term, for Winchester City, it is virgin territory. Entering the FA Trophy for the first time in 1972/73, they surprised Basingstoke Town, first by negotiating the roundabouts to the Camrose, then by winning 3-2. However then Non-League giants Wealdstone proved too strong in the next round, winning 2-0. With the club dropping into the Hampshire League soon after they would not re-enter the Trophy until 2006, though in the intervening years they had lifted the FA Vase beating AFC Sudbury 2-0 in 2004 at Birmingham City’s St Andrews ground. Until this season though the Citizens had rarely progressed beyond the Preliminary/First Qualifying Round, but this season has been different. After a gruelling 210 minutes of football, City saw off Southern League rivals Petersfield at the second attempt winning 3-1 in extra time of their Preliminary Round tie. That set up a trip across Hampshire to Fleet Town and another tight encounter settled by Craig Feeney’s single-minded solo run on goal and precise finish. Back on the road the 2nd Qualifying Round sent Winchester to Phoenix Sports, riding high in Ryman League Division One North. Feeney converted an 25th minute penalty as Phoenix’s Ashley Proberts was shown the red card after handling on the line but former Dulwich Hamlet striker Theo Fairweather-Johnson quickly levelled for the 10 men with a long-distance dynamite drive, but back came the Citizens as Andy Jenkinson rifled home a free kick just three minutes later. Another goal from Feeney after the break made the game safe the striker finishing one-on-one with the home ‘keeper as Winchester advanced to this weekend’s tie with a 3-1 victory.

Besides the FA Trophy, Winchester City have also enjoyed a strong run in the Emirates FA Cup this season, seeing off United Services Portsmouth of the Wessex League 3-0, Western League side Street 4-2 and upsetting National League South outfit Truro City as Feeney bagged a brace for the underdogs in a resounding 4-0 victory to set up a 3rd Qualifying Round trip to Dulwich’s Ryman League rivals, Harrow Borough. For only the second time in more than 60 years had City reached this stage of the competition and for 79 minutes it seemed as if Howard Neighbour’s goal would be enough to see them one step closer to the FA Cup Proper. Then heartbreak as first Shaun Preddie equaliser then, in added time Harrow’s much-coveted rough diamond, Ibrahim Meite popped up to clinch Boro’s passage through. Incidentally one of Winchester’s most successful FA Cup runs had come back in the 1929/1930 season when they reached the Fourth Qualifying Round of the competition only to lose 3-0 away to Thames AFC at the 120,000 capacity West Ham Stadium in Custom House. Records fail to show whether a capacity crowd was in attendance. That defeat deprived the Citizens of a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in the next round.

Meanwhile in the bread and butter of the league, Winchester City currently lie in 14th spot in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South & West, perhaps something of a disappointment after finishing 5th in the last campaign and qualifying for the playoffs, only to slip to defeat in the semi-final at Banbury United. Perhaps the missing cog in the wheel is goal machine Warren Bentley, who bagged more than a half-century of goals in all competitions, and was snaffled up by Gosport Borough in the summer. Bentley has proved a hard act to follow and Winchester’s form has been fluctuating in the current campaign. Just one win in their last five league outings, excluding the game at Mangotsfield when fullback Joe Hayward suffered a broken fibula, a wait of more than 45 minutes for an ambulance leading to an abandonment, leaves City floating in mid-table.

This Saturday’s Buildbase FA Trophy tie takes place at The Denplan City Ground, Hillier Way, Abbotts Barton, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7SR and kick off time is 3pm.

Admission Prices:

• Adults: £9
• Senior Citizens & Concessions: £6
• Under 16s: £1