Sports Report – Short Half 2024, Week 4
Tuesday 24th September 2024
Football v King Edward’s Witley, Aldenham & Hampton
The Girls’ 1st XI got off to a slow start with multiple on target shots from KES. However, Ella M (C) did an excellent job at defending all but three in the first half. As a first-time goalie, she did an outstanding job. In the last two minutes of the first half, Bea B (F) slotted it into the bottom left. This ended the first half on a high.
After a quick discussion of tactics, we returned to the pitch optimistic. The result of this optimism being two goals to equalise in the first five minutes of the second half securing Bea a hat trick. With expertly placed balls from Tabi P (I) helping to assist the goals and strong midfield, work from Liv P (G) and Erica W (A) we kept possession for the majority of the second half. Hesper H (B), Cleo Kent (D) and Ami Butler (D) kept our defence solid, working together to keep the ball out of our box. Their skilful tackles and big kicks benefitted our play. Serafina S (I) used her consistently successful tackling methods to regain control of the ball.
The level of play became more exciting in the last five minutes as both teams battled it out to score and win. However, both teams were unsuccessful. KES Witley put up a good fight, but we were able to maintain possession and intercepted many of their shots before the ball even got to the halfway line. Overall, it was a strong performance that we should all be proud of. Everyone played very well, and the future looks positive. D3-3 [Bea, B, F)
Aldenham School (h):
3rd XI: Won 3-2 4th XI: Lost 4-3
Hampton School (a):
JCC: Lost 6-1
The JCD football team faced a long trip away to Hampton on what proved to be tough conditions to play in. With the wind blowing into our faces for the first half, Hampton starting positively producing some good aerial balls which broke through our back 4 and we found ourselves 2-0 down within the first 5 minutes. The Winchester boys weren’t going down without a fight and through some fantastic midfield play from Elliot, Harry P, Theo P and Toby H we found ourselves getting regular shots on target to test the Hampton keeper (hitting the woodwork twice in the process). A late finish in the first half from the Hampton winger slotted in a neat goal to take the score to 3-0 Hampton at half time.
After an inspiring team talk the boys were full of energy and were ready to give it their all for the final 30 mins. Now playing downwind, we looked much more effective and with Monty H drifting higher up the pitch he provided some force and stability in midfield for what arguable could be the most organised D team Winchester has played against at Jun Colts level. Fantastic finishes from Connor and Elliot T got the score back to 3-2 with 7 minutes left to play but it wasn’t meant to be as some late goals from Hampton closed the game out for them with a 5-2 win. A fantastic effort from all involved as the JCD’s look to bounce back next week. [TJF]
The JCE’s put in a phenomenal performance to come away with a point against an impressive Hampton side. Jaden Omoruyi was imperious in attack, showing outstanding strength, skill and vision as he rallied the team from 3-2 down to level and eventually achieve a first draw of the season. D3-3. [JL]
Yearlings A v John Hanson Community, HSFA Cup Rd 1 (h): Lost 4-1
Golf 1st v Charterhouse (h):
Winchester undertook another challenging fixture against Charterhouse, unconventionally allowing their opponents to have shots in order keep the contest competitive.
In the first pair we had Harry and Phoom. They struggled with some early bogies, made all the tougher by their opponents better-ball score of 5 under par, to find themselves 5 down after 8 holes. However, the two began to play some immaculate golf after this early setback. Harry scored 6 birdies in a row, which is an extraordinary feat, which few golfers would achieve in an entire career. Equally, with this match marking Phoom’s debut for the first team, he supported Harry effectively during some critical moments. Nonetheless, the Winchester pair was still 4 down with 7 holes left to play. They played against a very strong Charterhouse team which together as a pair scored 7 under par. Despite working their hardest, Harry & Phoom succumbed 3&2.
Ray and Nigel were forced to give shots to their opponents due to their superior handicaps, leaving them on the back-foot from the start. They started with some steady pars, but their opponents did not give them any room to work with. On the 450-yard 7th, the Charterhouse opponents made a birdie 3 which was quickly followed up by a net hole-in-one on the long 8th hole. Even after Ray made back-to-back birdies on 11 & 12, it wasn't enough to win either hole! After finding themselves 4 down with 4 to play, the two fought to extend the match as long as possible. Despite their efforts, they lost 2&1. It is worth mentioning that Nigel displayed some true resilience in his first match for the senior team. Regardless of what came, he repeatedly gave every shot 100% of his focus. This is something that everyone can look up to.
James and Sander unluckily had the odds stacked against them from the start. They were left with a large handicap to even the playing field against their Charterhouse opponents, who they would’ve easily triumphed against off scratch. However, thanks to some massive drives from James and some great iron play from Sander, they managed to overcome their disadvantage. Unfortunately, they birdied so many of the same holes, which prevented them from maximising their performance. Regardless, they finished strongly with back-to-back birdies and secured a 3 under back nine to halve the match. Winchester 0.5 - 2.5 Charterhouse. [Ray S, E]
Rackets v Clifton College (a):
After a long bus journey and a warmup on the Real Tennis court, the Rackets team took on Clifton. The 1st pair for the day, Rupert B (VIBk1:K) and Angus H (VIBk1:I), took on a Clifton pair consisting of one stronger and one weaker player. Angus returned serve well at times and looked to dominate in the rallies although some would have remarked on him appearing highly critical of his performance when he made an error. Rupert was ever reliable with his serve and worked hard to figure out the unusual court with some success. Both the first 2 games saw Winchester take a lead, only for the better Clifton boy to dominate the front of the court and put countless balls away. Both of the first two games could have gone either way and it was frustrating to not take at least one. The final game was a strange affair, with both of our players seemingly forgetting how to return serve, and the Clifton boy using his home court advantage to find good angles and see them home with the score 14/17, 14/17, 0/15. This did not feel such a bad loss considering the difference in standard. [TERC]
The second pair, Jamie M (VIBk2:G) and Vincent G (VIBk1:H), fought admirably in an incredibly tight match. Vincent, playing in his first ever match, looked strong. He returned well and volleyed precisely. Jamie served clinically and, at times, dominated the front of the court. The first 4 games were an exchange of blows, the first going Winchester’s way, the second and third Clifton's, with Winchester managing to level by claiming the fourth. This left us with a deciding game. Clifton raced ahead to a 14-6 lead leaving them on match point. A combination of poor serving from Clifton and strong returning from Jamie and Vincent threw Winchester a life-line. Unfortunately, the Clifton boys were able to close out the final game with the final score being 15/6, 5/15, 9/15, 15/10, 12/15.
This had been a valuable outing where all 4 players took something away, especially for us, the experience of playing on Clifton’s court, different in may ways, including being far slower than Winchester’s. [Angus Hay (VIBk1:I)]
Thursday 26th September 2025
Badminton v Wellington College (h): Won 12-4
This week the team faced Wellington College in a thrilling encounter. The first two rounds were fiercely competitive, with the score tied at 4-4. Winchester’s fourth pair, featuring Edward Z (F), who was making his debut, and Derek W (G), along with the third pair, Josiah E (F) and Bryan H (D), struggled early on against Wellington’s formidable first and second pairs. Meanwhile, Winchester’s first pair, Yuyao X (H) and Ayson K (C), alongside the second pair, Ben W (A) and Jesse He (A), opened the match with commanding wins, sweeping their initial games 21-13, 21-11 and 21-7, 21-12, respectively. As the match progressed, Edward and Derek found their rhythm, playing more cohesively and fearlessly. They turned the tide by decisively defeating Wellington’s third pair 21-13, 21-13, before delivering an even more impressive 21-14, 21-6 victory against the fourth pair. Josiah and Bryan, with their dynamic style—Bryan’s relentless attack and Josiah’s powerful smashes—also found success, dispatching Wellington’s fourth pair 21-14, 21-4 and clinching a hard-fought victory against the third pair 21-14, 21-18.
Ben and Jesse faced a setback against Wellington’s newly emerging first pair, but they showed immense resilience, bouncing back from a 10-21 loss to defeat the second pair in a dramatic comeback, winning 21-10 and 21-18. Meanwhile, Yuyao and Ayson, in dominant form, faced little resistance as they dispatched Wellington’s second pair with a swift 21-6, 21-13 win, and overpowered the first pair 21-10, 21-11 to cap off the day. In the end, Winchester College secured a decisive 12-4 victory, demonstrating strong performances across the board, while also revealing areas for further growth as they continue their season. [Yuyao (X) H]
Climbing v Embley
We saw a return to Parthian Climbing Centre where we took on Embley School in a fun, but competitive match. Winchester are closing the gap each time we meet, and with the addition of the new climbing wall I believe a mixture of consistency and perseverance we will notch up our first win soon. Embley had a range of experience within the team including some very experienced club climbers, however, a special mention to Phuc N who finished 3rd overall in the individual standings and Billy W not far behind. The pupils represented themselves and the school very well and we will go again in early December. L130-108 [JXD]
Football v Canford, Bedales & Aldenham
Soccer XI welcomed Canford to Winchester on a wet afternoon. Thanks to some excellent distribution from our defence, we were able to press Canford and force them into mistakes and although we dominated possession for the entirety of the first half we were sloppy in our decision-making in the final third. The second half was a lot more fiercely contested with some excellent defensive work from our back three of Dom J [A], Jack B [A] and Max J[A] whilst Seb Browning [G] made some crucial saves to keep us in the game. In the dying minutes, we sought to grab a last-minute winner but to no avail. Special thanks to Mr Dodd for his relentless coaching and Dr Hodgins for his work in running the line. We now look to Lancing next week. D 0-0.[Tim O, I]
Despite a fifty-minute delay and some treacherous weather, the 2nd XI looked confident at kick-off against Canford. Some new additions to the team from the 1st XI and 3rd XI only strengthened our spirit and after Jason C (F) utilised the wind to score from a corner kick, we only looked more comfortable. We played some nice football, targeting their backline with some lovely balls from our keeper Anthony CB (B). After a few missed chances, our attacking pressure was too much for them and Daniel G (G) popped a header in form a corner to make it 2-0 at half-time.
We set out from half-time determined to score some more and ensure that the scoreline reflected our dominance. Despite a surge of wind, rain and pressure from their attack, our defence stood strong, and we pushed through to claim another goal from a corner, this time with Felix O (H) the beneficiary. From then on, our opponents lost their desire to stay in the game, and we overwhelmed them with some brilliant ball playing football and a high press to score a flurry of goals from Michael J (I), Arthur D (H), Amaar M (I) and Jonnie I (B). The match ended 7-0, a thoroughly deserved result to continue our unbeaten streak. [Ted M, B]
5th XI: Won 2-1
Often the 3rd XI reports are about valiant battles against strong opposition, but this is a game that the players will feel they should have won. The scoring opened with a 'worldy' of a strike from 30 yards out by Moreno de Barreda that gave the 'keeper no chance. Winchester looked on top, despite missing Lecourt through injury, and Malik and Kitson to the 2s. Hoffman, who had been locking down the right side, suffered a knee injury making a tackle, and in the following lull Bedales' captain made a strong run and evened up the score. Winchester rallied and took over the game again, before Riabyi broke away and calmly chipped the 'keeper from a tight angle to make it 2-1. Bedales equalised again before Ungureanu's deflected blast from the top of the box gave Winchester a 3-2 lead and the game seemed over. Sadly that was not to be; Bedales, who had been under the cosh for the majority of the game, scored two right at the death. For 95% of the game the 3rds played really well. The bright side is that after a dry start the 3rd XI are scoring goals, and good ones too. L4-3. [LNT]
On a very wet afternoon, The SCA’s faced Bedales following a brilliant win against Charterhouse. We started dominantly as we controlled the game. After good link up down the left hand side, their keeper was forced to make a save but Gio S (D) followed in and finished the rebound to open the scoring. Moments after kick-off, Frederic L (C) played a lovely ball in behind their defence and fortunately for us the opposition defender sliced it into the bottom corner to double our lead going into half-time.
We started the second half similarly to the first as we continued to dictate the play. Following a corner, the ball was outside the box where Alex M (I) floated a ball over their defence which found the feet of Gio S who brought it down and finished it into the far corner to get his second and Winchester's third. The goals kept on coming as the ball found Gabriel B (B) who made a brilliant overlap and was rewarded as he struck a magnificent shot past the keeper into the near post to finally claim his first goal for Winchester. With the chance to get a first hattrick, Gio S was put upfront, and he received a chance as a genius flick from Kam C-D (I) sent Gio through on goal and from a tight angle scored his third to make it a brilliant a hattrick. We were determined to keep our first clean sheet of the season and Oskar S (G) played a wonderful match making sure we didn't concede as he swept up every ball in behind and made some great saves throughout the match. The game ended 5-0 to the SCAs and Man of the Match obviously goes to Gio S for a wonderful hattrick. [Alex M, I]
Rampage! The mighty and unstoppable powerhouse that is the SCBs football team absolutely ruthlessly obliterated their U15 opponents from Aldenham.
The game started with an early fiasco in defence. The equanimity remained strong though, as an absolutely stunning cross from Leonardo V caused the Aldenham defence to crumble and score an own goal. Later on, Winchester College SCB’s were on the attack, with comprehensive tackles and after slight confusion in the box, the ball came out to Gregory D who netted his first of many that game. Alexander J went on to get crunched by the defence and a pen was given and finished with no doubt.
With the whistle blowing for the commencement of the second half the soldiers went to work, with an early shot from Gregory D making the score 4-1. The ferocious SCB’s carried on the fight, with a handball in the box making a pen. The cool, calm and collected Gregory rose up to the task and buried it to seal his hat-trick. The rest of the game was a fierce battle with a tiny slip up from two foot Tom made the final score 5-3. Absolutely Stunning lads! [Gregory D, F].
SCC: Won 3-2
Sailing v Sherbourne School (h):
After our victory at the Spinnaker Schools Championships, we returned to Spinnaker last Thursday with 7 sailors to welcome Sherborne School. In the past, both teams had been sailing on the same level with equal wins and losses at friendlies or other competitions. So, we very much looked forward to a fun afternoon with a perfect breeze of around 14 knots.
Winchester was competitive pre-start, employing multiple manoeuvres to try and confuse the opposition. However, Sherborne got a slightly better start, resulting in a Sherborne lead around mark 1. However, we did not lose our composure, as Luke E sailing with Alex P and Rupert B sailing with Amelie S had a perfect downwind, using excellent team racing skills to catch up with the Sherborne team. However, around mark 4, Sherborne as still in the lead. A risky manoeuvre by Rupert just before the finish line resulted in our boats finishing 1,2 and 3 – a win for Winchester.
In the second race, we had learnt our lesson and had a much better start, allowing us to lead around mark 1. From that point, it was essentially a fleet race for us and we just had to sail the course as fast as possible. Max B sailing with Toby H did a great job, slowing down the opposition and allowing their teammates to extend the lead. Winchester went on to win the second race – 2:0 to Winchester.
In the third race, Sherborne knew they had to win to retain any chance of winning overall. Both teams had a very tightly contested start with penalties given out to both teams. However, Sherborne narrowly managed to get the lead and seal a very tight race 3 – a 2:1 lead for Winchester.
The pressure was on us to win the next race and confirm the overall victory in the best of 5.
Luke and Rupert started well again, while Max now sailing with Olivia P managed to give two of their boats spins on the start line which meant we were already in a strong position on the first beat. Although Sherborne’s third boat put some pressure on us, we defended our position well and had another comfortable win, meaning we had won this match overall.
Another highlight was, of course, the final race, when we managed to keep our streak up and also win race number 5. Therefore, we won overall 4:1. Well done to Sherborne for some good team racing and it was great to get some more practice against other teams before the BSDRA Midlands next Saturday and the ETs the week after. [Max B, K) and Rupert B, K)]
All fixture details can be found on: https://sportsfixtures.winchestercollege.org/
Sporting quote for the week:
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking” (H. Jackson Brown, Jr, Author)
M.S. Burley
Director of Sport
1st October 2024
X: @WinCollSports