CONFIDENT Winchester City boss Neil Hards has sent out a message to those who think the FA Vase holders have lost their championship charisma: "Come back and see us next April!"

Even though budget restraints have forced last season's treble winners to release defender Darren Powell and transfer-list striker Stuart Cannie, Hards is convinced there is potential in the squad to match the stunning achievements of 2003/4.

And on the evidence of Saturday's impressive 5-0 dismantling of last season's runners-up Wimborne Town, it's hard to disagree with him.

Purring like a well-oiled machine, City reduced Paul Arnold's men to ruins long before the injury-hit Magpies lost goalkeeper Stewart Kearn to a nasty head injury late in the first half, which held the game up for eight minutes.

The former Bashley and Lymington number one suffered a deep gash and swelling above the eye following an accidental collision with his former Wimborne teammate Mark Smith and was taken to hospital with concussion.

By then Ian Buckman, Dave Goss, Mark Jones and Jamie Musselwhite had all feasted on first-half goals for the champions, leaving the Magpies with only pride to play for after the break.

The quality of Winchester's attacking play was breathtaking at times and Hards said: "Watching the boys play like that makes it all worthwhile, it really does.

"Our first-half performance was terrific. Normally I've got things to say at half-time, but there was nothing to pick holes in at all. The guys were outstanding.

"We get snippets back from the press etc saying we're not as good as we were - and if people want to write us off, that's fine," he shrugged.

"We'll just plod along in our usual manner and see where it takes us.

"I get people phone me up telling me such and such a team's doing this and that, but I say come and talk to me in April.

"We had a bit of sticky start, but we're beginning to click into gear now and these last two or three weeks we've been playing really well.

"Today was full of fast, slick, attacking play and quality movement off the ball.

"If we keep performing like this, there's a few clubs who won't fancy playing us, that's for sure."

Wimborne - 2-1 winners at the Denplan City Ground last season - were never in with a sniff of victory this time.

Having fallen behind after two minutes to a deflected shot by Buckman - his first goal for City - they were engulfed by wave after wave of attack.

Big defender Goss, making his fourth start of the season after turning down a move to Bashley, headed in number two on 11 minutes after Mark Jones had nodded Liam Green's corner into his path.

Jones casually turned and stroked home the third himself after being left completely unmarked from Mark Blake's free-kick.

Wimborne looked quizzically at the linesman to no avail and their afternoon turned bleaker still on 33 minutes when an exhilarating City move ended with Jamie Musselwhite heading home Matt Bicknell's inch-perfect cross.

Smith was primed to punish his old club further when he scampered onto Blake's pass in the 35th minute. But as Kearn came out to challenge, he was accidentally caught in the face by the lively midfielder and, after a lengthy stoppage, defender Paul Roast took over in goal.

City never soared to same heights after the hold-up -but they didn't have to.

One more goal smashed home by Smith on 65 minutes after Roast had fumbled Liam Green's corner was more than enough to keep the guvnor happy.

Hards reflected: "Once Kearnsy went off injured it was over as a spectacle, but it would have taken a superhuman effort to match what we did in the first half.

"Credit to Wimborne for the way they kept going. I know they've had injuries, but we've had our share too. Adam Rogers, Toby Redwood, Kieron Hall and Kevin Brewster were all out today and Lloyd Webber, the captain, was in hospital with his wife and new baby.

"It means we had two youngsters - Paul Burnett and Eddie Whitehouse - coming off the bench and there's going to be more chances for young players now that the squad's being trimmed back.

"People are telling me that there are other sides who look stronger than we do, so our lads have got a point to prove.

"But I've told them that if we do go out and do it all again this season, it's going to be an even greater achievement than last year's.

"Everyone else is writing us off - the only ones who aren't are ourselves.

"Come April we won't be far away from the shake-up."