IAN Robinson had his FA Vase preparations scuppered by old club AFC Totton at Testwood Park last night.

With just four days to go before Lymington & New Milton hit the road to Teesside to face Billingham Town in the last 32, they suffered a shock 2-1 Wessex League defeat that manager Robinson fears "has handed the title to Winchester."

The Linnets arrived at Testwood Park boasting a formidable 15-match unbeaten run stretching back to early September.

And it was widely felt that if any club could stop Winchester City retaining their crown, it was the Linnets.

But the 16th game proved a bridge too far for the New Forest club and, in hindsight, Robinson says he should never have agreed to play it.

Traditionally the league allows its clubs a free midweek prior to Vase matches, but Linnets were lagging so far behind with their league programme that they felt compelled to squeeze a game in.

The plan backfired badly with ten-man Totton triumphing through a Steve Whitcher penalty.

Robinson confessed: "I took the game and it's turned round and bitten me on the bum.

"Championships are won and lost on nights like these, but all our lads were talking about beforehand was Saturday's game.

"Totton showed a lot more spirit and desire than we did and had a better attitude, but, truth is, I don't think Winchester would have come here tonight and lost."

It was Lymington who took the lead with a 16th-minute Kevin James goal, but Matty Monk levelled direct from a 30th-minute free-kick.

Totton were handicapped when Gareth Byers was sent off for a second yellow card midway through the second half, but then Paul Towler tripped Whitcher, who proved deadly from the spot.

Stags boss Stuart Ritchie didn't exactly go overboard about the victory.

"It was alright," he shrugged, "but we played no better than we normally do.

"I've always said we're a half-decent side but, for a change, we got the rub of the green.

"We were sharper to the ball than Lymington were."

Even when Byers got his marching orders, Richie wasn't unduly worried.

He said: "Our defence of Danny Potter, Stu Salter, Lee Thorne and Steve Marwood is rock solid and they got nothing through it."

While Totton pulled off the shock result of the night, Christchurch produced the most extravagant scoreline by thumping struggling Portland 6-0 at Hurn Bridge.

Paul Rideout dined out on four goals, backed by singles from Richard Bentley and Steve Bernard.

It was a welcome result for manager Pete Moore, whose Priory future has been the subject of some spiteful speculation down New Forest way.

"The local press has put me under pressure and the club's taken a bit of a battering which they don't deserve," Moore, pictured right, said.

"Every time we've lost a match, there have been people saying I've resigned or been sacked. But I've had good support from behind the scenes at Christchurch and I've had more votes of confidence than I can remember!

"I knew results hadn't been good but, with amount of players we've had missing, we were going to struggle.

"I've had no Tom Hughes, no Sam Percival, no Ross Edwards and no Ben Griffiths - and Richard Bentley's only just come back. Because of that, I've had to play a lot of kids who are individually good but, collectively, they're not.

"They've suffered a bit and confidence has been low."