Trojans overcame Woking - and a waterlogged Stoneham Lane surface - to stretch their lead to four points over Bournemouth at the top of the Hampshire/Surrey Regional League.

Chris Rhodes grabbed an early winner to give Trojans a 1-0 win and valuable breathing space in the leadership race.

"Woking and ourselves had only conceded five goals in eight games all season, so it was never likely to be a high-scoring game," said Trojans skipper Campbell Williams.

Trojans' winner followed a pitch-length move, initiated by some great work from the pacy Colin French and finished off by Rhodes.

"Driving rain and gale-force winds made for atrocious playing conditions and we were indebted to our second team players who swept water from the pitch before the game and again at half-time," Williams added.

There were near misses at either end before half-time but, as the second half progressed, Woking began to turn the screw.

"With two guys unavailable, we had a makeshift defence out, but we hung on - in the end with ten men, after Suni Bolina got himself sin-binned for deliberately kicking the ball," added the Trojans captain.

Bournemouth were held 1-1 by Barnes, who host inconsistent Winchester on Saturday, while Winchester found themselves frustrated by Reigate Priory after Nick Tout, having given them an early lead, fluffed a penalty flick against the Surrey side, who have yet to win.

After Reigate popped in an equaliser, Winchester never got it together, spurned a couple more chances through Alex Bennett and Don Walker and had to be satisfied with a 1-1 draw.

Soundly beaten by Woking the previous week, Hamble Old Boys bounced back with a 4-1 win over London Edwardians, whom Trojans visit on Saturday.

Showing a ruthless streak in front of goal which was lacking at Woking a week earlier, Hamble sealed Edwardians' fate inside the opening 25 minutes.

Dave Foster put Hamble a goal up from a short corner inside the first minute, with Duncan Marsh notching the second after Dave Kelly had been tripped skipping past the third of a trio of London defenders.

Kelly, the architect behind Hamble's third goal - scored by Steve Barber - rounded off a fine first-half show by cracking home Old Boys' third before the break.

Play deteriorated with the appalling weather in the second half, Edwardians bagging a late consolation goal.

In the Second XI Regional League Division 2, Trojans trimmed Southampton University 4-1, but bottom-of-the-table Southampton collapsed to a 4-0 defeat by leaders Wanderers.

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