TABLE-TOPPING Wimborne Town's proud unbeaten run was finally ended as they lost 1-0 to fifth-placed AFC Newbury at Faraday Road.
The Magpies' magnificent 24-match run from the start of the season was shattered by former Newport IoW defender Lee Chudy, who crashed home an unstoppable 15-yard shot across the 'keeper after 73 minutes.
Newbury's Jim Goslin said: "We've had three very good games against Wimborne this season and today I think that we've evened things up a bit.
"They beat us up here 3-2 with a late penalty in extra time of the Wessex League Cup and then we battled back from 2-0 down to get a very good point in a 2-2 draw at The Cuthbury back in November.
"Having proved that we can compete with the best, we now need to became a little more consistent in the league," added Goslin.
Wimborne's misery was Winchester City's joy as they napped lowly Whitchurch United to move within four points of the Magpies - with two games in hand.
Lloyd Webber rattled the visitors' woodwork before City took the lead after 29 minutes, Andy Forbes's downward header hitting United defender Cliff Power and deflecting into the net for an unfortunate own goal.
City doubled their lead right on half-time as Shaun Dyke crossed for Danny Smith to head home and, early in the second half, Liam Green found Forbes, who lofted the ball over the 'keeper for City's third.
Matty Bicknell's 30-yard free-kick missed everyone to sneak in at the far post for number four after 53 minutes, with Forbes completing the nap hand in the final minute.
It wasn't a good day either for third-placed Gosport Borough, who failed to take full advantage of Wimborne's slip. They were held to a 1-1 draw by local rivals Moneyfields.
Ashley Edwards hit the Boro post before Stuart Hensman nodded the visitors into a seventh-minute lead, which was cancelled out on 35 minutes when Adam Camfield thumped an attempted clearance into the top corner of his own net.
Moneyfields boss Calvin Hore said: "I thought that we well deserved the point today as we played some decent football in difficult conditions.
"Gosport probably did have a bit more in the second half but Lee Mould also hit the bar for us so it was a pretty fair result in the end."
Another local derby ended in a surprise defeat for Lymington & New Milton as they went down 1-0 to Christchurch at Hurn Bridge.
"I was a bit worried before the game when I had four players drop out with the flu," smiled Christchurch boss Pete Moore.
"Lymington certainly had the lion's share of the second half but we created the better chances and probably just about deserved to shade it."
The only goal of the game came midway through the second half. Chris Kennedy got away down the right before pulling the ball back to Scott Joyce, who volleyed home from ten yards.
AFC Totton's hopes of consolidating a top-four slot took a nosedive at Cams Alders where they were beaten 2-0 by Fareham.
Fareham manager Jon Gittens said: "We worked tremendously hard for the win and the victory bridges the gap on the top four as we've still got games in hand on the others."
Floyd Hamoudu closed down a back pass to give Fareham a 15th-minute lead and Paul Morby added a second on the hour mark with a superb finish, following good work by Danny Thompson and Hamoudu.
Alton Town's home match with Cowes was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
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