Sports Report – Short Half 2024, Week 2

Tuesday 10th September 2024

Football SCA v Calthorpe Park School (a) HSFA Cup 1st Rd

After a long journey to Calthorpe Park School, the SCA were ready for their first match of the season. The long bus journey had made us quite tired and the surface we trained on was not the best. Nonetheless we were eager to play.

The game kicked off, and for the first 10 minutes Calthorpe Park controlled the play and created a few opportunities on the left-hand side. However, Gabriel B (B) and George K (E) stayed compact and delt with the threats, with Oskar S (G) clearing up any mistakes. After the first ten minutes, the midfield started to set the pace, with Kam CD (I) and Giovani S (D) starting attacks and playing in balls in behind for our wingers. After 20 or so minutes of play, James R (A) played a lovely ball in behind for Freddie L (C) to slot the ball into the bottom corner against the keeper (0-1). This further improved our morale, and the team grew in confidence. Good football was played during this half, but the midfield became increasingly tired.

The second half kicked off. But the opposition were determined to come back. Our midfield tried their best to contain Calthorpe's midfield but without any success, and a dangerous run into the box allowed their striker to equalise (1-1). A few minutes later and with the momentum they had gained Calthorpe scored again (2-1). The team's morale dropped, and our heads went down. However, Kam and Giovani kept playing lovely football and delivered beautiful passes to Jesse F (C) and Prince G (D) who gave the team a few chances to equalise. But Calthorpe were compact in defence and prevented any of our attackers to score. Later on, Calthorpe went on to score another one, and quickly after a fourth towards the end of the game to seal the match. Honourable mentions to Kam CD (I) who played very well and kept his head up despite the tough opposition. The SCA hope to be better prepared for Saturday and create an upset against Eton. [Freddie L, C]

Golf 1st v Seaford College (a):

Harry H WON 2up

Ray S LOST 3&2

Seb W WON 2&1

Going out first for the team, Harry was put up against the 2023 English U18 National Champion. Harry played decisively and both players traded blows with numerous excellent shots. Neither player went more than 1up on each other for most of the match and by the 16th hole, the match was tied. With a well-struck iron shot on 17 and a skilful chip shot on 18, Harry won the final two holes to win the match two up and bring home a fantastic point for the team.

Ray, after a tough start, fought as hard as he could to claw back his point for the team. However, his opponent showed good character, repeatedly hitting good iron shots and holing some strong putts, leaving Ray with an uphill battle. Despite his efforts, the match was lost 3&2.

Seb brought his best form to his match, allowing his opponent little room to work with. Despite feeling the effects of a tough Flower Pot fixture the day before, he drove the ball beautifully throughout, even on the tightest holes on the golf course. After combining this with precise iron shots, Seb was able to win the match 2&1 against a high quality opponent and deliver the deciding point for the team.

A significant win for the Winchester team against a formidable opposition, who played at their home course. Channel Island opponents await in the next round, thankfully with a home draw for Winchester. [Ray S, E]

Thursday 12th September 2024

Football Yearlings A v Stonehenge School (ESFA Cup 1st Rd, a): Won 1-0

Golf 1st v Marlborough College (a):

One of the beauties of golf is that, thanks to it's handicapping system, opponents with very different abilities are able to go head to head in fair competition. Winchester, the significantly superior team on paper, graciously afforded their opponents the shots owed to them by this system, to retain the proper challenge a friendly match should entail.

Opening for the team, Harry H (I) had to give three shots to a top-class Marlborough opponent. After taking an early lead, the opposition fought back with some well-placed tee shots and long-range putts. This left Harry with an uphill battle, and he eventually lost 2&1.

Ray S (E), teeing off second, had an equally strong opponent and also gave three shots. It was a tight match, with some great up and downs and iron shots hit by both golfers. Most notably, on the 8th hole, the players halved with birdies on a tricky 200-yard par three. After fighting hard, Ray lost 2&1 as well.

Seb W (G) hit some beautiful drives and wedges to take the early lead in his match. Despite giving a number of shots, Seb surpassed this obstacle and overcame his adversary. He strategically directed every shot he hit into the most optimal positions, and he won 4&3 in a ball-striking clinic.

James R (A) struggled early in the windy conditions on the treelined course and also had to give five shots to his opponent. After his had deficit widened to 4 down through 10, James decided to put his foot to the ground and battle to win the match. After holing numerous clutch putts and decisively placing his iron shots, James completed an impressive comeback and finished A/S.

Sander A (A) displayed perseverance in his match, and it looked like it could go either way on every hole. He grinded through the golf course making some crucial up and downs to keep his fellow competitor close by. However, fighting the continuous stream of impressive golf shots proved to be just a little too difficult, and he narrowly lost his match.

Kevin D (G) displayed maturity far beyond his age in his debut golf match for Winchester. Like the others, he too had to give many shots to his competition. However, this did not stop Kevin from achieving his goal of winning. He repetitively pressured his opponent with steady ball-striking and effective course management. Over time, this added up, and Kevin won 7&5 – a strong start to his bright future on the golf team. [Ray S, E]

Rackets v Charterhouse (h):

In a very tight match against a hard-hitting Charterhouse duo, first pair Jack (A) and Will (A) managed to turn around a 1-2 deficit to win 3-2. A slightly unorthodox approach by Charterhouse, involving their either smashing the ball for a winner or at other times, out of court into Tim's office, meant that Winchester had to stay efficient and compact. But some excellent open-play rallies and serving towards the latter stages meant that the home team closed out the match in comprehensive style, winning the last two games 15-5 and 15-7. Certainly, this proved an entertaining match to start the season, but it also revealed lots of areas which needed improvement.

Meanwhile, our 3rd pair, Angus (I) and Rupert (K), took the first game 15-10 thanks to better consistency and longer runs of serve than the opposition. The following two games also went Winchester’s way, and while aspects of how early this is in the season did show in some of the rallies, the quality of play notably improved from both sides as the match went on. This bodes well for the rest of the season. Winchester win, 3 -0.

The 2nd pair, Jamie (G) and Amar (I), were initially put under some pressure by Charterhouse, only winning the first game 15-9. However, they carried this momentum forwards and served clinically, taking the following game 15 – 1. Reliable returning when we did lose the serve ensured that we quickly regained it and so remained in control. Winchester win, 3 -0.

The JCA pair, Casper (E) and Sam Barklam (A), also served clinically and prevented Charterhouse from serving any runs by returning their serves every time. This pair show definite potential and hopefully can demonstrate more of the same when we play Eton next week. Won 3-0. [TERC]

Squash v Marlborough College & Cheltenham College

1st v Marlborough College: & v Cheltenham College: Lost

16A’s v Marlborough College: Won

Saturday 14th September 2024

Badminton v Harrow School (a)

The start of the new academic year brought new changes to our badminton squad. The departure of key players JP Cheng and Alvin Yu forced the team to reshuffle into new and untested pairs. Despite this, standout performances from captain Yuyao X (H) and the talented Ayson K (C) led to victories in both their first and second matches. Our second pair, Derek W (G) and Benjamin W (A), fought valiantly in hard-fought battles but ultimately fell short, leaving the score tied at 2-2. Brian H (D) and Jessiah E (F) then stepped up, tying the match once again at 3-3. The pressure was on our fourth pair, Oliver F (G) and Vincent G (H), who managed to secure a thrilling win after a tense three-set contest. However, a narrow defeat in the final set against Harrow’s third pair, with the score ending at 17-21, resulted in a 4-4 draw. We now look forward to the rematch next week on home turf, determined to claim victory. Man of the match goes to Benjamin who surprisingly doesn't gel well with his twin brother. - [Derek W, G]

Football v Eton College

Soccer XI travelled to Eton in good spirits after a hard fought draw against Hampton in our first game of the season. The same 14 boys looked slightly off against a very good Eton side. We cannot fault our work and effort but we have key areas we must improve in. We gave the ball away far to many times after winning it back and continued to gift Eton with opportunities to score which they were able to do successfully. Anthony CB (B) could do no wrong and made some good saves for us but we conceded 3 goals in each half to lose the game 0 - 6.

Lots to work on this week going into the game on Thursday at Bryanston. We have to work hard to get this result behind us which is the plan ahead. (JRD)

The 2nd XI arrived in Eton on a sunny Saturday afternoon and, after a quick warm-up, the team made their way out onto the pitch to play Eton 3rd XI. Despite some injuries and colds among the squad we started the match positively and, after an even first five minutes, quickly started to control it. Our good football was soon rewarded when a lovely ball over Eton's defence by Max J (A) found Seb K (A) just outside the box, who proceeded to place it perfectly over the oncoming goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net, making it 1–0 to Winchester.

We started the second half even better than the first, and a second goal seemed imminent. However, Eton now started to really push for an equaliser. Aided by the midfield, our defence remained solid, but even so Seb B (G) was forced to make some fantastic saves to keep the us in the lead heading into the last ten minutes of the match. A last big effort from the team enabled us to see the game out, giving us a thoroughly deserved win. (Felix O, H)

The 3rd XI trekked to the far side of Eton's fields to play against an unusually talented Eton 4th XI Team. It was always going to be a difficult game, but the effort and commitment levels of the Winchester team were immense. A half time score of 0-0 was well-deserved, with some fine defending nullifying the straight through balls of Eton. The 3rd XI were packing the middle of the pitch which helped restrict the Eton play, but it did mean that the front two had to work extremely hard for little reward. That said, there were several occasions when a different bounce or a slightly more accurate pass would have led to good opportunities. A couple of unfortunate and uncharacteristic slips allowed Eton to take the victory in the end, but the 3s came away with a lot of praise from the opposition, and should hold their heads high. With another tough fixture next weekend, the polishing continues and hopefully the team will get a little more luck - their attitude and work ethic deserves it. L2-0 (LNT)

Despite the result, there was much to take from the 5th XI performance. Oscar's wicked delivery of a wide free kick set up Luke to score our goal, which brought us level after we conceded early in the game. In the second half, 2-1 down, we pushed for an equaliser, but it was Eton who scored a late goal; a deflected, looping shot. It could have easily been 2-2 with a little more luck on our side. (MJR)

The 7ths played at Eton in bright sunshine on a dry pitch. Excitingly Anton O (H) put Winchester 1-0 up in the first few minutes, but Eton punished Winchester, especially in the second half, to end up the victors, 7-1. (JAT)

Looking to bounce back after a lacklustre performance in the county cup, the SCAs prepared to take on a strong Eton side, after a convincing warm-up we looked ready to compete. The game kicked off with Eton maintaining most of the possession and Winchester maintaining their shape extremely well, and about 10-15 minutes into the game we were rewarded for our compactness, and after some great pressing from Jesse F (C) on their fullback, Freddie L (C) was left through on goal to slot the ball home, 1-0. This raised the atmosphere on the pitch and the players could hardly believe it. The boys gained great confidence from this and our defence stayed solid with Oli K (X) and George K (E) nullifying any attacking threat that came our way. Mike M (A) and Gio S (D) worked tirelessly in midfield where Eton were especially dominant and came close to scoring, hitting the bar twice, but Oskar S (G) stayed composed in goal. Just before half-time we won a corner, which was brilliantly taken by James R (A) and was headed in by George, however the goal was unfortunately disallowed for a push in the back on their defender.

After a strong team talk at half time, we had confidence going into the second half, the game became quite open with chances from both teams, however after failing to properly clear the ball from a corner, some good feet from their winger landed him a scuffed shot from outside the box which bounced off the post into the net, 1-1. This didn't phase us as we kept our heads up and kept our shape very well against a very technical team. The game began to open up even more and Prince G (D) had a few runs in behind and came close a couple of times, but the last 20 minutes were mainly Winchester keeping their heads and Gabriel B (B) defending like his life depended on it. Eventually the game ended 1-1, strong performances all around the field but Oli’s performance in defence was the pick of the bunch on this occasion. Lots of positives to take next week as we take on Charterhouse. (Jesse F,C)

On a sunny Saturday, the SCB welcomed Eton for their first fixture. Eton started on the front foot, and scored early on. The pressure kept coming, but thanks to a brilliant save from Tom (E) and some solid work in the midfield from Amar (I) and Geza (F), we were still in the game at half-time. We created better chances on the break in the second half, but nothing came to it. Late on in the game, they scored two more outside the box, resulting in a 3-0 loss. (JWS)

Having not had a game against Hampton the previous week the JCAs were chomping at the bit to get going against Eton, eager to avenge the 4-1 defeat last year.

The game started with the hosts on top as we found it difficult to exit our own half due to the surprisingly strong breeze in our faces. Despite the territorial and possession control from Eton they didn't really threaten Hawthorne (E) in goal and gradually we were able to exert some control. Husband (H) and Hunt (H) harried in midfield, often winning possession back and there were a couple of threatening runs from Aighe (G) and Pritchard (X). The 0-0 scoreline at half time reflected a fairly even match and the instructions at the break were to try and impose ourselves a little more and look to create some more clear cut chances. The boys responded well to the request and after a good ball from Hawthorne pressure was exerted on the centre backs eventually allowing Pritchard the chance to scramble the ball home to take a 1-0 lead.

There was a lot more confidence evident amongst the Winchester boys with some neat interchanges of passing. Duckworth (H) and Hawkins (K) linked well to create some openings and Bilfinger (C) and Baring (I) dealt with the Eton attacks through the middle. A foul by Eton saw a free kick awarded 25 yards out and a lovely left foot curler from Hoskin (D) just sailed over the bar. Unsurprisingly, Eton came back and from their own free kick they managed to squeeze the ball into the bottom corner to equalize. It was all to play for and Hawthorne kept us in the game with some excellent saves to deny the Eton attackers. With just 90 seconds to play Aighe went through 1-on-1 with the keeper but his shot unfortunately flew above the bar. A 1-1 all draw was probably a fair result but I hope the boys recognise the progress they are making and use this game as a springboard for the rest of the season. (MSB)

First game of the season for the JCCs was away at Eton College. After a quick warm up the boys started calmly but on the back foot against an aggressive Eton attack. But the JCC’s solid defence and some good saves form Barnaby L (A) in goal saw the team through to half time without conceding. HT 0-0. Second half began in similar fashion. With the constant pressure from Eton, they managed to get one of their shots into the goal. This kicked Wincoll’s attacking intent into gear creating some nice link ups, sadly without success. Final Score Eton 1 – Wincoll 0. (THW)

The JCEs came agonisingly close to an historic victory against a talented Eton side. Superb goals from Toby (D), Jaden O (A) and George B (C) fired Winchester into a commanding 3-1 lead. Ultimately, however, the considerable strength in depth of Eton’s substitutes bench, combined with their superior fitness levels, enabled them to overturn the deficit and emerge 4-3 victors. The Es should be proud to have come so close and competed with such determination and gusto right until the final whistle. Player of the match: Toby H. (JOC)

Eton took the kick off to start off an exciting match for the Yearlings A. The first chance would go to Eton as the ball fell to one of their players on the right edge of a cross but wouldn't trouble B. Robinson (D) in goal as it hit the side netting. As the goal kick was taken B. Dobson (B) kicked the ball over the top that fell to an Eton player. As he attempted to pass it back to the keeper a great press from E. Oyedele (K) intercepted the ball and dribbled pass the keeper to on open net and passed it to the back of the net 1-0!. Next chance would come quickly again to Winchester as a ball of the top from H. Clothier (B) would find E. Oyedele and dribbled to the edge of the box and would finish it passed the keeper to make it 2-0. But the 2 goal deficit wouldn't last for long as Eton went on a break and scored from it 2-1. The next goal would come to Eton as a goalie clearance wasn't called and an easy touch past the keeper and finish for Eton would make it 2-2. Another attack came to Eton as one of their players found some space in the corner of the pitch and attempted to cross it but found itself flying over B. Robinson into the far corner of the goal 2-3. An attack came to Winchester as H. Clothier chipped it across M. Aybu (B) made some space and finished into the corner of the goal 3-3. And that was only the first half!

The second half started with Eton having a corner right after the restart and a punch from B. Robinson would fall to an Eton player who finished it well from the edge of the D with a volley into the top of the net 3-4. Another attack came to Eton and they again had an easy finish to make it 3-5. The next goal came to Eton as well as a player dribbled through half way into Winchester's half and finished it impressively to make it 3-6. Winchester's heads had dropped a little but a good press from H. Clothier had won the ball and he passed it to B. Tucker (A) who passed to A. Kok (K) who finished it well over the keeper to make it 4-6. The final goal came from Eton as a good attack finished in a goal. Full time 4-7 a great game for the neutrals, and lots of positives to take as the Yearling's look to develop week on week. Thank you to all the parents for their strong support. (JMB & JPT)

Yes, the Yearlings Bs lost but we went down fighting. Hotaka and Arthur both showed me why I shouldn't have started them on the bench, showing great strength and good dribbling or passing choices. But the man of the match was Chris C, my new wrecking ball up front who terrorises defences and makes them PANIC! (PAH)

The YCs stepped out against the Eton C team on Saturday feeling slightly apprehensive having expected to be playing a team down as per the normal arrangement. It was certainly a confident group of Etonians who faced them, but from the off, it was clear that we were far from out of contention. A strong Winchester passing game saw Eton under pressure and a mistake at the back found their keeper out of position and allowed us to take the lead half way through the first half. It did not last long though, and in a pattern that was to repeat itself throughout the game, Eton were not easily beaten and rallied to equalise within 10 minutes. The half ended with a strong spell of play from the visitors which kept us pinned in our own half and we were lucky to hold out until half time and to maintain the score at 1-1.

The second half, and a number of changes saw Winchester come out strong and return to the passing style that had put us ahead in the first. After a period of prolonged pressure, another slip up by Eton allowed us to take a 2-1 lead, this was followed up within 5 minutes with another, taking the score to 3-1 and which placed a famous victory within our reach. Heading into the final 8 minutes, confidence was growing but in sitting back, we allowed Eton to place considerable pressure on us. One goal line scramble was salvaged by some phenomenal keeping but it proved too much and 2 goals followed 5 minutes apart to bring them level. By this stage, the momentum was with Eton and one last push saw a final melee in the box and a goal for the light blues in the final seconds of the game to rob us of a wonderful result. Winchester can be highly pleased with their performance and for giving this confident side a real scare, but there is no doubt that we missed a golden opportunity. L3-4 (SJM)

Yet again the YDs fought valiantly, this week against the Fs of Eton. Despite what the scoreline suggests I would like to emphasise how close this game felt. At the end of the first half it was only 2-0. We had a handful of good chances in the first half, but none of the comes near to André C’s chance in the early stages of the second half. As he found himself one on one with the Eton keeper. Unfortunately (as the scoreline suggests) this was not converted this goes down to the superb goalkeeping of the Eton Goalkeeper. There were however 2 excellent chances taken by a couple of our defenders to add to the 4-0 deficit. We also found in the second half that playing the ball out from the back up the pitch worked very effectively, until we took a heavy touch. Some special mentions go to Harvey W, who despite the scoreline had a brilliant game in net, and our two CBs Hugo G and Theo D-P whom without we would have lost easily 10-0. All in all this was a great performance in spite of the opponent that provided much improvement. (PM)

Despite conceding an early goal the Yearling Es got off to a strong start and were soon able to equalise, Tiger T and Jack W proving an effective forward partnership throughout the match. Going into half time at 2-1 down the game looked competitive, with chances coming on both sides and a strong midfield performance from Matthew L. The second half saw some really good play again and some excellent chances; however Eton applied just a little too much pressure and a handful of goals were conceded in quite quick succession L2-8 (TP).

Other Results

4th XI L6-0

6th XI L3-0

SCC TBC

SCD L2-8

JCB L 10-0

JCD L6-1

Rowing ~ South Coast Championships, Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley Abbey.

After a long rowing season from May to August, all came to a close on Saturday at the South Coast Rowing Championships, held locally this year at Royal Victoria Country Park. The one-off regatta each year comprises of clubs from as far as Cornwall, all the way to Kent. There are three regions and each sends their Winner and runner-up to compete in a 6 boat race, for each of the categories available. This year, Martha M (E) has been rowing in Southampton for Itchen Imperial Rowing Club when she isn't in school. Martha and crew successfully won the Hants & Dorset Ladies Junior Fours Championship and were therefore selected to compete at the weekend's championship regatta.

Martha and crew were firm favourites to take the title. As the morning went on the conditions became trickier as the wind speed increased, which made getting on the start line more difficult and also meant the waves were side on to the boats. Off the start the racing was close as all crews battled for their position and the lead. However, Martha's Itchen crew soon found their rhythm and started to push in front. As the race went on and the crews covered the 2km race Martha's crew stretched out to a comfortable lead, crossing the line a good 7-8 boat lengths ahead of second place, to become Ladies Junior South Coast Champions. A huge well done Martha. [JF]

Sailing: Sir Reginald Bennett Cup/Tri-School Regatta

Last Sunday, the sailing team went to Seaview Yacht Club to race Mermaids, a type of keelboat, against sailors from the Old Radley, Old Wykehamist and Seaview sailing clubs. Despite the early start, departing at 6am to catch the ferry to the Isle of Wight, we were all looking forward to a sunny day on the water.

A three-boat team racing round robin commenced as soon as the wind filled in. Every race was closely contested with the winning team often being decided on the final beat as the frontrunners attempted to manoeuvre their teammates into winning combinations. However, the light winds and heavy weight of the keelboats meant they took much longer to accelerate than our dinghy sailors were used to! As a result, our mark traps were less effective than normal in the morning so we came out of the first round robin in 4th. Regardless, some of our boats clearly had the boat speed to be in contention, with WinColl boats posting first place finishes individually in two out of the three morning races.

Returning for a second round robin after lunch, the wind had picked up and we were ready to try out our new tactic: maintaining momentum even when slowing down the boats behind. With 30 seconds till the start, we were in a strong position against the Old Radley team. Rupert B and his crew Max B pushed all three of the Radley boats down towards the pin end of the start line and subsequently held them in a lock up the first beat, allowing Luke E and his crew Alex P to start strongly at the committee-biased end. It was then just a question of boat speed, with Rupert and Luke’s boats finishing first and second respectively meaning we won against the Old Radley team – a notable achievement given that they went on to win the event. While we were not quite able to beat the OWs, despite having a winning combination at mark 3, we managed to narrowly win against the Seaview team. This meant we finished the afternoon’s round robin in joint first place, a great improvement from the morning.

However, we still narrowly missed out on the final, but this did give us the chance to sail against Seaview again in the petit final. Olivia P and her crew of Thomas F and Jack W sailed well, putting pressure on the Seaview team downwind and allowing Rupert and Luke to establish a double inside overlap at mark 3 – all six boats were overlapped as we rounded the third mark! We were able to defend this position and take the win in the petit final.

Overall, a great day on the water sailing an entirely different type of boat but doing a format of racing which we are well accustomed to. Lots of fun was had by all and it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with some of the members of the OW sailing club. (Rupert B, K)

All fixture details can be found on: https://sportsfixtures.winchestercollege.org/

Sporting quote for the week:

“A selfish attitude may once in a while lead to success, but the selfless attitude leads to excellence, celebrates the success of others, and makes you the type of athlete that every coach wants on his or her team.” Jerry Lynch, Sports Psychologist

M.S. Burley

Director of Sport

17th September 2024

X: @WinCollSports