Two-goal Darren Robson fired Gosport Borough to the top of the Wessex pile on a night when champions Winchester City again suffered at the hands of Lymington & New Milton.

Having had their feathers ruffled by the Linnets on the closing day of last season, Winchester's three-match winning start to the new campaign was derailed 1-0 at Fawcetts Field last night.

"We got what we deserved," reflected City secretary Ray Murphy after Ben Thomson had settled the issue on 25 minutes with a low drive across keeper Simon Arthur, which went in off the post.

Winchester substitute Stuart Cannie thought he'd equalised on 82 minutes, but the 'goal' was ruled out for handball.

Having lost their first two games of the season, victory was just what the doctor ordered for the Linnets.

"It's only one result, but it's a good one," smiled assistant manager Richie Phippard.

"Winchester played their usual game and piled plenty forward in the second half, putting on more and more pressure, but I'd say we deserved it on our first-half performance. We could have scored three or four.

"Before the game I wasn't at all confident but that's what makes football the game it is. Our was team basically the same, but we just had more application and effort."

Another maximum-point start was wrecked at Bemer-ton, where Bournemouth Pop-pies bounced back from behind to grab a late 2-1 victory.

Harlequins led by a Neil Cole goal at half-time, but Lamin Dibba equalised and former AFC Bournemouth man Fawzi Saadi scored with a well-taken free kick on the final whistle.

With Andover not playing until tonight at Downton, it leaves Gosport in pole position with 12 points out of 12 after a 2-0 win at Brockenhurst- the first time they have topped the league during Mick Marsh's time as manager.

The first half ended goalless as they failed to break down a resilient Brock defence, but two goals from Robson did the trick.

The first came from a neat build-up started and finished by the former Bashley and Farnborough midfielder and then Robson had a short corner played back to him and he fired the ball straight in.

"That's four in four games for Darren," laughed Marsh. "He didn't score that many in nine months last season!"

Two more Fareham players - striker Abdoulie Ndoye and midfielder David Rowe - have joined the Gosport Borough ranks, but that didn't stop Town's new-look side beating Cowes Sports 2-0 at Cams Alders last night.

Paul Morby pounced on a defensive mistake with less than three minutes gone and Fareham's second came right at the death when Louis Savage, son of Town's identically named manager, buried Danny White's cross at the far post.

Mark Osman scored AFC Totton consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat at Wimborne Town, for whom Gareth Barnes (2) and Scott Arnold were on target.

But there were no such problems for Totton's neighbours BAT, who turned over Wessex newcomers VT FC 3-1.

Although the match counted as a home game for VT, it was played at the Tobaccomen's Southern Gardens headquarters because of cricket at Portsmouth Road.

For BAT, it put their first points on the board and assistant manager Danny Bowers said: "Were pleased to have kick-started the season. In Dave Roberts, I felt we had the best player on the pitch.

"I don't think we played as well as we can, but we ground out a result and it was especially nice to win 'away'."

Dave Roberts fired the Tobaccomen in front with a bullet header from Stuart Kenna's delivery, but a lapse in concentration led to Gary Male equalising. Paul West restored the advantage by cutting inside and arrowing a fantastic shot into the top corner, then Dave Lewis scored his first goal for the club.

Moneyfields staged a ten-man fightback to draw 2-2 at Christchurch.

Trailing to two Paul Rideout goals - one a penalty - Money-fields were dealt a further blow when James Crawford saw red. But the ten-man Ports-mouth team hit back through Ashley Edwards and a Stuart Chandler penalty in stoppage time.