IF ever there is a case of good coming out of adversity, it's Gary Green's resolve to trim down a possible 182-day ban.

The very fact that the veteran Winchester City midfielder is ready to fight his corner over the ban suggests that Sunday's FA Vase final may not, after all, be his last game for the club.

At the age of 40, the former Army player is still as fit as they come and no one ever really wanted to believe him when he announced his intention to hang up his boots.

But optimism wained when he was sent off twice in the space of three weeks at Bideford and AFC Newbury and then discovered he'd been hit with a massive 112-day ban for allegedly threatening the referee when he was booked at Andover.

Potentially the three offences combined could rule him out for 182 days, wiping out the first six months of next season.

But the good news for City fans is that he is appealing against the Andover and Newbury charges.

So does that mean the former Army man is primed to soldier on?

"I must admit I'm thinking about it," Green confessed. "I've thought long and hard about giving up, but it's a harsh reality finally having to say I'm past it.

"It's not a nice thing to have to admit to yourself and I'm thinking about maybe dropping back and playing in defence."

It was two summers ago that the former Havant, Dorchester and Worthing midfielder was talked out of retirement by City after he had parted company with Newport IoW.

His contribution to lifting Winchester to successive Hampshire and Wessex League titles has been immeasurable, yet the game could so easily have lost him prematurely - and Green himself would have missed out one of the most satisfying chapters in his career.

"To be honest, if I hadn't come to Winchester I wouldn't have bothered playing at all, but I'm glad I did," he confessed.

"They're not there yet, but potentially this is the best side I've ever been involved with. There's so much talent here and I wonder sometimes why I wasn't playing for a team like this ten years ago. That's how good they are.

"I was lucky at clubs like Havant and Newport because we were all very close-knit and I'm not saying I'm any closer to the Winchester lads. For a start, I'm so much older than most of them!

"But potentially there's masses more ability at Winchester than I've experienced before. So many of them can play higher.

"Often you get skilful players who lack heart, but you look at someone like Danny Smith and he'll run through a brick wall for you.

"The talent runs right through the side with people like Matt Bicknell and Liam Green. Dykey (Shaun Dyke) is quality - and he's still got more to give.

"Then there's Forbsy (Andy Forbes). He's scored 70-odd goals this season and he's done it at a canter. He could easily have had more."

When it came to City's player-of-the-year awards it was Lloyd Webber who captured the treasured vote of his teammates - and Green is one of his keenest supporters.

Like Green, the former Saints, Fareham and Woking midfielder is a strapping six-footer and, at just 23 years of age, Webber has all the required qualities to follow in his mentor's footsteps.

With typical modesty Green said: "Lloyd's a much better player than I ever was.

"My game was all about fitness and I'd run people into the ground, but Lloyd's got loads of ability.

"The first half of the season was a bit hit and miss from him, but in the second half he's been superb.

"He's certainly my choice for player-of-the-season."

You wouldn't guess it to watch him out on the park, but Green's age does catch up with him at times.

He's never one to moan and groan about aches and pains, but the Bognor-based sales manager - described as "a freak of nature" by team boss Hards - admitted: "I do struggle the day after a game.

"When I'm playing I still feel as if I've got the legs, but after two or three weeks of playing Tuesday-Saturday, Tuesday-Saturday, I'd need time off.

"To be honest, I shouldn't even be in this side with the ability these players have got.

"They should be stopping me getting in."

Green is hoping City's young talent will stick together.

He said: "Me, Blakey (Mark Blake), Mance (Ian Mancey) and Toby (Redwood) are out of the equation as we're over 30, but the rest of the side have years ahead of them.

"If we can keep that nucleus next season and improve in a couple of areas, what a great side this will be!"

More in tonight's Daily Echo and don't forget your free 16 page FA Vase Final supplement inside tomorrow's PINK