DAVE Goss has left a potential Wessex title-winning side at AFC Totton to help his old club Winchester City make an impact in the Southern League.

With promoted trio Winchester, Thatcham and Andover out of the equation next season, the strapping 6ft 4in defender, below, is convinced Totton can lift the Wessex title for the first time in the league's 20-year history.

But, in the end, the pull of his home town club Winchester proved too strong resist for the 28-year-old former Bashley centre-back, who was a member of City's 2004 FA Vase-winning side.

"I was loving it at Totton and it was a big decision for me to leave. Badger and Newy (Totton manager Stuart Ritchie and assistant Sean New) were brilliant to me and I really believe they can go on and win the league," said Goss.

"But Winchester is where I was born and I want to play at Southern League level again.

"I'm not getting any younger and I'm going back there purely because they're my home town club and because I'll be stepping up in standard."

Totton have already signed a quality centre-back this summer in 19-year-old Dave King from Brockenhurst and manager Ritchie is convinced they will cope.

He said: "It's sad to lose Dave because he's a good lad, but you move on. We've got Jamie Austen who can play at the back and Dave King comes to us very highly rated."