Sydenhams Wessex League - Premier Division.

Wimborne Town 2, Romsey Town 0.

ROMSEY were anything but downhearted after their magnificent start to life in the Premier Division of the Wessex League had been checked on the 13th day of their new season by one of the league's top sides.

Wimborne are former winners of the FA Vase as well as being former Wessex champions and they are the side being tipped by Romsey manager Trevor Holmes to win the Wessex title this season.

"We had players out, which was unfortunate, but the lads did ever so well and it could have been so different. After just a quarter of an hour Jamie Hookway ghosted in with a superb header and it was going right into the top corner.

"But their goalkeeper made a brilliant save and if that had gone in we would have rattled them. The goalkeeper had a great game and he made several really good saves," said Romsey manager Trevor Holmes. Hookway had another near miss shortly afterwards and Ben Thompson also went close.

But it was Wimborne who broke the deadlock with their runaway top scorer Scott Joyce - already into double figures after just four games - cashing in on a rare piece of slack marking to put his side ahead.

Romsey kept the gap to a single goal early in the second-half when Mike Hookway made a smart save right on his line and almost drew level with a header from Dean Higgins which was pushed over the bar by the home keeper.

Wimborne were reduced to ten men when left-back Tommy McCormick was sent off after he appeared to take a swing at former team-mate Ben Thompson, now with Romsey.

But although Dean Higgins went close with two fierce free-kicks, Wimborne's ten men held out and the gap was widened when Joyce scored his second.

It was the first time in 10 games, since their 2-0 defeat at Laverstock and Ford on March 10, that Romsey had failed to score.

Holmes summed up: "It was a great game. It was disappointing that we lost, but the performance of the players was top-notch. And if someone had said to me before the season that we'd have nine points after four games I'd have said Yes, I'll take that'."

Romsey Town 2, Alresford Town 1.

ROMSEY'S third successive victory had taken them to the top of the Wessex Premier Division for the first time in 17 years on Saturday.

And chance of a repeat of last season's 2-0 home defeat by their keen rivals Alresford was blown out of the water - and there was plenty of it on yet another rainy afternoon - as early as the 15th minute.

Clearly the better side in the early stages, Romsey gained the vital breakthrough when Tommy Donaldson, again impressive on the left side of midfield, made space for himself with some neat footwork and fired home a fierce left-foot shot from 18 yards.

Alresford fell further behind 10 minutes later when Ben Thompson picked up a pass on the Romsey right and carved an opening with a neat flick which enabled summer signing Paddy James from Vospers to score his fourth goal in three games.

Dave Egerton went close to increasing Romsey's lead before half-time, but Alresford pinned all their hopes on attack after the break and sent on two forwards as substitutes.

Romsey countered by sending on defender Richie Hayter to operate in front of their back four and he did his job well. The move left Romsey with just James up front, but he battled away superbly, keeping the Alresford defence busy.

There was no stopping Stuart Findlay from pulling a goal back for Alresford from a penalty which Romsey felt was harsh, but there was no closing the gap, so Romsey ended the day sitting proudly on top of the table.

Romsey manager Trevor Holmes was well-pleased with the performance and he said: "We were so well on top at the start of the game that we could have been much further in front by half-time. They worked hard and so did we, but we had the flair."

Romsey will be aiming to return to winning form tomorrow when they entertain Downton at the Bypass Ground (3pm).