WINCHESTER City boss Ian Saunders was a tad disappointed with today's FA Cup preliminary round win at US Portsmouth – despite the 3-0 scoreline.

With all due respect to the Sydenhams Division One hosts, he felt the margin of victory should have been greater.

“Being brutally honest it was quite a straightforward win,” he said.

“To be fair to US Portsmouth, they put up a fight and worked hard for their manager, but I’m a bit disappointed with 3-0.

“As a Southern League side you expect to put a lower league team to the sword and I felt we could have won by a clearer margin.

“We know we’re going to have to work harder when we play Tiverton at our place in the league next Saturday.”

Former Stoke City man Ed Dryden fired City ahead after a couple of blocked shots and Craig Feeney doubled the advantage before half-time with a well-placed header from Ryan Holloway’s cross.

Feeney was unlucky to lob the 'keeper and strike the woodwork, but later made amends from the penalty spot.

With Rob Flooks away, ex-Eastleigh youngster Joe Hayward partnered Ross Bottomley in central defence. Winchester had no Danny King, Jamie Brown and Adam Tomasso were injured and Jamie Barron polished off his three-match ban.

City’s reward for victory is a home tie against Street on Saturday week (September 3).

They will be trying not to emulate league rivals Larkhall Athletic who were turfed out 4-2 by the Western Premier underdogs.

“I was expecting us to be playing Larkhall, certainly after their midweek result (6-1 at AFC Totton),” admitted Saunders.

“But Street have beaten them 4-2, so we know we’re in for a game.

“But I’m not thinking about that yet. We’ve got Tiverton and Wimborne (away, August 29) in the league first.

"We've got two really important training sessions coming up this week where I can impress a bit of my will on the side," added the new boss, who has not yet been in the job a month.

"You can talk all you like in the dressing room, but what you want is to get your ideas across on the training ground."

Saunders hopes Howard Neighbour will be okay by next weekend. The forward took an elbow to the face today, which split his top lip, and ended up in A&E.