NEW AFC Totton manager Barry Blankley heard on the grapevine that he had inherited a gem in skipper Martin Whiddett.

He saw the evidence at first hand on Saturday as the fired-up frontman sent Wessex rivals Gosport Borough packing with two goals inside five minutes in the Hampshire Senior Cup first round at Testwood Park.

Wessex leaders Winchester City have again announced their intention to try and take Whiddett off Totton's hands by lodging notice of approach for the 32-year-old Alton-based hitman.

Whiddett is not under contract with the Stags, but his outstanding commitment and loyalty has won him a host of friends at the club.

And Blankley can only hope that Totton will hang onto the jewel in their crown.

Blankley said: "I'd heard a lot about Martin and I first saw him when Totton played Bashley in pre-season.

"Every manager around will tell you that he's one of those players you'd sooner have playing for you than against you. He's very fit for a lad of 32. There's not an ounce of fat on him.

"Martin is aware that Winchester have put in seven days for him, but I think he's happy here - at least I hope he is. I have spoken to him and he's said he'll give me a chance and see how we work together.

"I'm not sure he would be a regular starter at Winchester and it would be a shame if he went there, spent a lot of time on the bench and then drifted into Combined Counties football or something."

Whiddett has already turned City down once during the summer and was reluctant to speak about their renewed interest, but he clarified: "I'm not on contract at Totton because there's no point at my age.

"They're better off putting a youngster on contract who they can get value from."

Two Whiddett goals in five first-half minutes made it an unhappy afternoon for Gosport who went home rueing a stack of missed chances.

They twice hit the bar in the opening quarter of an hour - once when Totton defender Hedley Winter sliced an attempted clearance from Ian Dyer's cross and then when Mark Tryon chanced his arm from distance.

When the woodwork wasn't getting in the way, it was Totton's determined players who denied Borough as Gareth Byers cleared Graham Lindsey's 26th-minute header off the line and then Clive Ventham similarly denied Neil Scammell just seconds after the Stags had nosed in front.

Blankley reflected: "Gosport had their chances, but it was good defending by us. We showed a lot of character against one of the strongest teams in the league. We competed well and did the right things in the right areas."

The former Bashley boss's first game in charge had ended in an unexpected 5-3 league defeat at Hamble ASSC four days earlier, but Saturday was a marked improvement.

"Tuesday was more about individual bits and pieces, but today was more of a team effort - you only needed to see the lads in the dressing room afterwards to realise that," said Blankley.

"It's hard to single people out because everyone did well today, although it was a lovely piece of skill from Pete Clark to set up the first goal."

Whiddett's opener arrived in the 38th minute when Chris Marwood spread play out to Clark on the left and the former BAT man conjured up what Blankley described as "one of the best whipped-in crosses I've ever seen."

Typically it was Whiddett who got on the end of it, nodding the ball down out of reach of Borough's helpless 'keeper, Mark Brown.

Ventham's goalline clearance prevented an immediate Gosport reply and, on 43 minutes, Totton extended their lead.

This time the build-up came from the right with classy defender Matt Parnell playing the ball in and Whiddett holding off his marker to prod a low shot into the far corner.

Gosport threw everything at Totton in the second half but could find no way past the determined Mark Watson.

The experienced former Aldershot and Fleet Town goalkeeper pulled off two magnificent saves, first turning away a rasping Ian Dyer shot in the 54th minute and then repelling a 30-yard blast by Blankley's former Bashley skipper Darren Robson with 13 minutes remaining.

Gosport boss Mick Marsh was away on holiday, but experienced midfielder Robson admitted: "We're finding it hard to string our passes together on the hard ground.

"We're trying to pass the ball, but other teams are just pushing it on and it's not running for us at the moment."