Sports Report – Short Half 2024, Week 5

Tuesday 1st October 2024 Football v JCA & JCBs v Hampton School (a):

Arriving at Hampton as the wet & windy conditions deteriorated was tempered somewhat by the prospect of playing on the superb 4G surface which would be conducive to the JCAs usual slick passing game. Unfortunately, within minutes the home team illustrated their comfort on the home surface using the width of the pitch well to create overlaps and scoring chances. Within ten minutes we were 3 down to a penalty plus two clinically taken chances by Hampton's impressive centre forward. We managed to make some inroads but too often a sloppy pass or poor control allowed Hampton to turn the ball over and they increased their lead with a smartly taken goal to make it 4-0 at half time.

It would have been very easy in the cold and wet conditions for heads to drop but the JCAs put together a much better fight in the second half. Some better passing moves ensued but we couldn't quite create clear cut openings to threaten the Hampton keeper. From a lightning fast counterattack the play-making centre midfielder for Hampton went through on goal and finished smartly and then a slightly lucky ricochet after an excellent save from Luke H saw Hampton increase their lead to 6. Wincoll still continued to push on, looking for a consolation and from a James H freekick a goalmouth scramble looked like it would produce that elusive goal but unfortunately the ball bobbled past the far post. Osamede A also went close in the final couple of minutes but miskicked his shot allowing the Hampton keeper to save comfortably.

A heavy defeat but a learning opportunity none the less. Everybody has to be on their 'A' game with high energy and selfless running off the ball if we are to compete against stronger opposition. This Saturday's match against Lancing College provides a chance to get this bad day at the office out of the system. [MSB]

The question was; could the JCBs do it on a cold, wet Tuesday in Hampton? The answer: partially. In tough conditions against a tough opponent Winchester found a real challenge. Going into the break 6-0 down belied the performance. Winchester grew steadily into the game and had spells were they were arguably the better side. Outstanding debuts from Sebastian P and Fergus B were matched by JCB stalwarts Danny M and Darren T. The second half saw the home team pull 7-0 ahead before the crowning moment of the afternoon. With the last kick of the game Rupert Fletcher became JCB’s top scorer for the season, blasting home from a melee in the box after a corner. A fine finish capping a fine performance despite the score line. L7-1. [JCP]

Rackets v Cheltenham College (a):

Jack B and Seb K (both A), a new pairing, took on Cheltenham’s competitive 1st pair. Seb, playing on the left for the first time at this level, performed surprisingly well returning the majority of serves whilst holding his own well in the rallies. Jack raised his game in relation to last week and the match proved finely balanced with 2 of the 3 games being particularly close. Although the final result was 3 – 0 to Cheltenham this was not a poor result on an away court at this stage of the season.

Our Under 15 pair, Casper W (E) and Sam B (A) went on next. Sam’s performance can only be described as virtually text-book with almost every serve returned and his executing remarkable retrievals in the rallies. Casper had good moments but perhaps lacked his usual consistency which I know will return now he is playing more. The last game went to a set but Winchester managed to close out the match 3 -0, an impressive win on an away court. [TERC]

The final match involved our Under 14 pair, Henry B (B) and Hugo H (I). They took on 2 Cheltenham pairs who both wanted to try and beat them. Despite Henry and Hugo going 8 – 0 down in game 1, Hugo managed to pull off a long run of serves to get the pair back into the game. Both boys were visibly improving as the match went on and Henry played some great backhands to keep the pair in a number of rallies. Hugo likes to hit the ball hard at all times and on 3 or 4 occasions executed some astounding kills, sending the ball sizzling away off the front wall beyond the reach of either opponent. Winchester managed to win both matches 2 – 0 and although early days, this is clearly an exciting start. [TERC]

Wednesday 2nd October 2024: Golf v King Edward VI (n):

On what turned out to be a beautiful and blustery afternoon, the Winchester College second 3, took on KES at their home venue: the delightful Stoneham GC. The match was hotly contested throughout - more so than the overall scoreline suggests - with some hard-fought, excellent victories for Winchester.

James R (A), Captain for the day, produced a dazzling display, completing his 18 holes in -1 par. This impressive golf was only good enough for him to win 1UP against his quality opponent and James had to produce a clutch birdie at the 18th hole to take the spoils and secure a vital point.

Sander A (A) maintained composure throughout the day, despite the disappointment of missing double Bio with Mr Moore. His opposite number, a highly talented all-round sportsman, was also a highly proficient golfer. Sander had to play really solid and steady golf against his big-hitting opponent to pull through 3&1 in the end, with characteristic panache.

Kevin D (G) on his ISGA debut, was calm personified; so much so, he only realised it was a knockout fixture when he had returned to the minibus, victorious. A hilly course proved a tough physical challenge for Kevin and he wasn't at his best early on. In fact, on the front nine, pushing his trolley up those hills, he resembled Sisyphus rather more than our youngest golfing talent. A gritty display against an erratic KES no. 3 was enough to claw back to victory on the final hole.[RSM] W3-0

Thursday 3rd October 2024 Fencing v Wellington College (h): Lost

Football v RGS Guildford & Frensham Heights

U17A’s v RGS Guildford Boys U18’s (a): Won 2-1

The SCBs started somewhat slowly against Frensham Heights’ U16As. Within the first 15 minutes, the opposition had a few shots on target, and we were lucky not to concede as two goals were chalked off for offside, and they hit the post. However, largely due to some excellent defending, namely from Plum M-M (F), Holly W (I) in particular, the score remained 0-0 at half-time, as we created a few counterattacks, particularly from Alex J (B), though we struggled for both possession and territory.

Saying that, early in the second half we created another good counter, which was well-finished by Samuel dR (G), into the bottom-right corner. Despite that, the Frensham Heights attack was fairly relentless but kept at bay, and so it was disappointing when, following a few saves from Tom H (E) in goal, Frensham Heights managed to square one into the box which was duly finished with just over 5 minutes left on the clock. Shortly after that, the opposition managed to take a free-kick quickly and play it over the top, which was agonisingly put into the back of the goal, resulting in an unfortunate 2-1 defeat. A very good effort against a strong team. [Tom H] (E)

Golf 1st v Lord Wandsworth College (n):

On another sparkling October afternoon, Winchester's golf team switched format from singles into foursomes in this tournament fixture against LWC. Once again, the squad encountered some quality opponents and, having given away our home advantage (Hockley GC is under maintenance this week and so instead the venue was the less familiar Royal Winchester GC), Winchester's best had to have their wits about them.

Out first, was a formidable pairing, in terms of both their prowess and bravado, Harry H (I) and Sebastian W (G). A mystifying lost ball on the first was not their only setback but as one would expect from such a talented couple, some swashbuckling golf and composure when pressure came, ensured the Wincoll boys overcame their plucky opponents, running out eventual 4&2 winners.

Second, was Winchester's most experienced pairing. Team Captain Ray S and the old head on young shoulders of James R, were looking to build on their spectacular form from last season; something that was pivotal in the team's run to the National Finals. Too strong they proved for Lord Wandsworth’s number twos, comfortably finishing things off on only the 13th hole, 6&5, thanks to some impeccable golf from both players (their own words).

The final pairing was the inaugural outing for a duo of the future. Sander A (A), still nursing some disappointment, this time perpetuated by a certain don's refusal of a visit to the golden arches, paired up with Kevin D (G). Sander, growing in stature and having a strong week on the course, showed great maturity in guiding the yearling Duan through to a win that secured Winchester a clean-sweep 3-0 victory overall. [RSM]

Squash 1st v Bryanston School (a): Won

Swimming ~ Hampshire Secondary Schools Relays (n): The Winchester College 1st IV Relay team competed at the Hampshire regional finals at the Bar End short course pool. The respectable time of 1:55:37 placed us 5th in the OPEN BOYS category, whilst no splits were provided each swimmer swam at a similar pace. Our fortunes were less successful in the 4x50 Medley relay where we missed our target time of 2:00:00 by 14 seconds. Thank you to Enoch W (VIBook2, I), Ruifu G (VIBook2, X) and Andrey G (VIBook2, X) for taking a morning out of lessons to compete in the most important fixture of the academic year so far. [F. Hall, VIBook1, X]

Saturday 5th October 2024 Football v Lancing College & Eton College

1 st XI welcomed Lancing to Doggers on a beautiful afternoon at Winchester knowing it was going to be a battle against a good footballing side.

There was not much between the sides but the 1st XI had the better of the chances but unable to convert, we went into the break 0 – 0, but I was happy with the performance. We asked the boys be to more clinical and Sebastian K (A) rose like a salmon to bury a header into the top corner beating the keeper to the ball to make it 1 - 0. We pressed and caused Lancing many problems and the Captain Timothy O (I) drove into the box and was taken out by the number 6 to get a penalty. Tim picked himself up and drove the ball into the top left corner to give us a 2 goal cushion.

The back 6 were fantastically marshalled by Jack (A) and Dom (A) and we were able to secure a 2 - 0 victory. Lots of positives against a strong team and something we can take into the Cup game on Tuesday. Well done boys. [JRD]

On a cool sunny Saturday, the 2nd XI was hyped to play some serious football against our opposition. With Boon-Long back in the team, we looked menacing. Living up to the hype, we pulled some beautiful strings of passes from David S (D)and Tomo O (D) supporting the quick wide players and the midfielders. With their speed, Jonnie I (B) on the left pressed the full backs, making their timbers shiver, punishing the ball away from them. As cool as he is, he assisted two goals for Daniel G (G) to tap in calmly.

With our midfielders and defenders looking fierce the defenders kept their cool, with head honcho Ted M (B) and his consigliere Felix O (H) playing tactically. Subsequently, with many other opportunities and great plays by Ammar M (I), Michael J (I) and Rocket (C), a lofted through ball from the back glided past the defenders head like Aladdin’s rug, leading to Jonnie I (B) chasing the ball and placing it bottom corner. However, our slight drop off towards the end lead them to find the net. 3-2 [Tomo O (D)]

To a man, the 3rd XI were outstanding against Lancing. The structure and teamwork that has been growing in recent weeks looked increasingly natural, and this group always works exceptionally hard. This week we added the 'Abiola press' which meant that with Moreno (I) ruling the midfield Lancing were stuck in their own half for almost all of the first half. Winchester could have scored several, but ended the half only 1-0 ahead thanks to a well-taken Husband (H) penalty. The second Sports Department half started in similar vein, although the team did have to weather injuries to key defenders Bertheau (F) and Hawkins (K), requiring a heroic appearance from Vorobev (F) who transferred mid-match on loan from the 4s. Lancing occasionally threatened to get back into the game as Winchester tired, but a deft free kick from Ungureanu (B), a calm striker's finish from Riabyi (D) and rocket of a half volley from Gordon (B) led to a well-deserved 4-0 win.

4th XI: Won 4-1

5th XI: Lost 4-2

6th XI: Draw 1-1

7th XI: Won 4-1

After a battling draw against the same opponents earlier in the term, SCA travelled to Eton full of confidence. However, a hot day, a big pitch and Etonian control of possession made life tough going. Eton were good value for their three goals, and we couldn’t quite turn our promising attacks into clear-cut chances. Credit should go in particular to Mike (A) and Gabriel (B) who produced typically battling performances.[RJHM]

The SCBs were edged out 4-3 by Eton in a hard-fought match. The SCBs struck first when Thai L sent a well-placed cross to Caspar E, who finished calmly to make it 1-0. Eton quickly responded, breaking through the defence to level the score. The SCBs took the lead again when Plum M delivered a perfectly timed through ball to Caspar E, who finished confidently for his second goal, putting the SCBs 2-1 up. However, in the second half, Eton found their rhythm and scored twice to turn the game around and lead 4-2. Despite the setback, the SCBs fought back. Harry M played a great pass to Thai L, who skillfully beat his defender and finished with composure to close the gap to 4-3. The SCBs pushed hard for an equalizer but couldn't find the breakthrough. Ernest D impressed in CDM, breaking up Eton’s play, while Leo V adapted well after moving to right back. Alex J added creativity in the CAM role, helping the SCBs' attack. Though the SCBs couldn’t secure a result, the team showed plenty of promise and determination to build on for future matches. (Thai L)

On a glorious sunny day on Palmer 1, the SCC team faced Eton for what looked to be a tough fixture. Winchester started brightly with Fernando & Wang controlling the ball well in midfield providing lots of overlapping runs for a lurking Felix Coleman. We started well by scoring 2 goals within the first 20 mins of the game thanks to 2 neat finishes from Felix. Eton managed to score a late goal in the first half leaving the score at 2-1.

An inspiring talk by interim manager/student Greg D rallied the boys and Winchester came out flying taking a 3-1 lead thanks to a tidy finish from Amar F. Some questionable defending at times took the score back 3-3 with 10 mins to play. An important counter attack from Winchester and a fantastic late cross from George LM to set up Felix with an open goal allowed him to score and complete his Hatrick. However, it wasn't meant to be for Winchester as a late counter attack from Eton after a failed corner allowed their striker to go one on one with our keeper and helped the ball over his head to score a late equaliser and level the score at 4-4. A good effort from all. (TJF)

SCD: W3-2

The JCAs were looking to make amends for their poor performance against Hampton last Tuesday. Despite minimal up warm time the focus seemed attentive and for most of the first half Sports Department we controlled the play. A couple of good corners created some panic in the Lancing 6 yard area and a good shot from Hawkins (K) tested the keeper. As the end of the first half neared quick thinking from Hawkins saw a throw in reach Aighe who had run off the centre back to be 1v1 with the keeper. He was unceremoniously brought down and the ref pointed to the spot. Unfortunately, the penalty wasn’t converted and so half time was reached at 0-0.

Lancing were buoyed and were fortuitously awarded a penalty themselves in the early stages of the 2 nd half. They took this chance and soon after doubled the score. The JCAs now started to force the play in the desire to claw back the score but it only led to rushed passes and poor decision making. We left the Lancing striker 1v1 and he finished off well to make it 3-0. Despite some late attacks which saw Huband go close from a free kick, Hunt have a shot blocked off the line and another missed penalty we couldn’t score A tough week for the boys but we have to shake it off before our ISFA Cup game against Alleyn’s next week. (MSB)

After a chastening experience on Tuesday in the rain and the metropolis of London it was a turn around in both result and ambience as JC B romped to their first victory of the season in the sunshine of the bucolic South Downs. A 2-0 victory was a welcome result after a tough start to the campaign. A penalty coolly slotted home by Darren T and a Danny M belter into the top corner were the icing on the cake for a fine performance all round. Special mention to Ismail K for a fine display in goal that enabled the clean sheet. W4-1 [JCP]

This Saturday the JCCs played away at Lancing. The match started off well with many good opportunities. Around halfway into the first half the ball was gathered in the midfield and then consequently spread to Spencer Y-T (A) on the right wing. He put in a lovely ball to Arlen A (C) who tapped it round the keeper and slotted it into the bottom left corner. We kept possession for most of the half and swiftly put out the few counter attacks that came our way. After the break Lancing decided to implement a more physically aggressive playstyle but we managed to hold our ground. A mistake from the Lancing keeper lead to another goal, scored by Cem U (B) pouncing on the loose ball . In the final 10 minutes Spencer placed the ball to Jayden O(C) at the back post from a corner who finished acrobatically. Final score 3-0 W. Nikandros C O,(C)

It was a challenging afternoon for the JCDs football team, who faced a dominant Eton side and were handed a tough 6-0 defeat. Despite the final scoreline, there were glimmers of hope and moments of quality from the JCDs, who battled tirelessly throughout. The game started evenly with both sides showing promise with a few clever runs from Toby H and some incisive passing from Michael Z. However, soon Eton picked it up a notch, with some slick passing and high pressing eventually leading to an opener. The rest of the first half remained a competitive affair with neither keeper having much to do until a counter attack put the visitors two up.

After the break, the JCDs continued to show heart and resilience, though the game quickly slipped away with Eton putting together some lovely attacking passages Although the final whistle marked a 6-0 loss, the JCDs will take pride in their moments of solid play and use them as a foundation for future improvement. Back to the drawing board for their next match after leave out. (JOC)

The JCEs gave their all against a technically superior Eton side. Determined defending from Abir B and David C kept Winchester in the match for the first half hour, but ultimately, Eton's ability to control possession enabled them to take command of the game. POTML David C. L1-6 (JL)

Yearlings A (a): Won 3-0

A win! Quick out of the blocks, like a diminutive Brentford, the mighty B’s swarmed all over the opposition and scored four first-half goals. The best of which would have graced a top-level game. Chris C (H) hared forwards onto Theo's (K) assist, nodded it forward and unleashed a howitzer into the roof of the net. In the second half we continued to play well, but the opposition played much better and managed a goal. This made our game more scrappy, so impressively, the team made their own adjustments and we finished comfortably on top. Man of the match was Nathan A (C), for a disciplined defensive midfield role. [PAH]

Winchester YCs began a little slowly against a weaker Lancing side and it took approximately 15 minutes before we settled into a style of play that proved productive. A lovely drive in from the left by Rainier (C) and a strong shot found the target to open the scoring. Two more goals followed quickly with Chris (I) pouncing on consecutive defensive errors to give us a comfortable lead.

There were some short spells where Lancing looked dangerous on the break but our keeper remained untroubled and we were able to add one more before half time. After the break, Winchester came out strong once more. Alfred (X) released a screamer from the edge of the 18 yard box that put us five up and two more from close range punished some poor defending by Lancing before the clock ran out. Lancing were certainly not the strongest team that we have played so far this term but it was pleasing to see that we used the opportunity to move the ball and put together some good phases of play which I hope will stand us in good stead for the remaining fixtures of the year. [SJM]

Netball 1st VII v Canford (a):

In an exciting start to the netball season, our team triumphed over a Canford Development Squad with a final score of 24-20 in a closely contested match. The first quarter was tightly fought, with Canford taking an early lead at 5-4. However, our team rallied in the second quarter, showcasing exceptional attacking play. Liv (G), playing as Goal Shooter, was particularly impressive, scoring multiple goals alongside Amelie (C) in the Goal Attack position. This strong performance propelled us to a 12-8 lead by halftime.

The third quarter saw Canford narrowing the gap, but our centre play was outstanding. Elodie (B) [Wing Attack] and Cleo (D) [Centre] communicated effectively, supported by Sanvee (I) [Captain, Goal Defence] and Ami (D) [Wing Defence], helping us maintain a slight lead at 15-14. In the final quarter, our defensive play shone, with Hesper (B) [GK] making crucial interceptions and quick defensive backline shots. Liv and Amelie continued to dominate the scoring, securing our victory at 24-20. Ami’s vital contributions to the match earned her the Player of the Match title. Overall, it was a dominant performance, especially considering it was our first match together. The team is excited for the upcoming netball season! [Sanvee P (I)] S

ailing ~ BSDRA Midland Area Championships (n):

Last Saturday, the sailing team went to Farmoor Reservoir for the BSDRA Midlands Championship. This was our first big event of the term, and we were looking forward to seeing how we would fare against some tough opposition.

Racing quickly got underway in what was champagne sailing conditions: sun, blue sky and a building breeze. We went into the round-robin determined to make it to the knockout stages, so knew we could not afford to lose a race. Although some of our starts left much to be desired, there was always a Winchester boat rounding mark one in either 1st or 2nd place, and our team-racing skills and reliably fast boat speed allowed as to take control of the races and be in the lead across the finish line. We won all of our 8 races in the round robin stage, the more notable victories being against Sherborne Gold, MCS Black and RGS Green – teams that we have struggled to beat in the past. This saw us through to the semi-finals and the knockout stages. Points difference meant we would be sailing against RHS Falcons, who had also completed the round-robin stage without losing a race. The breeze had now built to the upper-end of the sailable range for full sails, and the unpredictable gusts meant this was sure to be a lively race. Both teams fought for the advantage off the start line and as we progressed up the first beat it seemed fairly even. We reached mark 2 in a 2,3,6 combination – a losing position, but only just. As each team struggled to gain the advantage on the downwind, our boat in third unfortunately got a penalty. This left Rupert (K) and his crew Thomas (E) with work to do as they approached mark 3 in 2nd place with two RHS boats close behind. This coincided with a very large gust, making it difficult to execute a controlled mark trap and ultimately allowing RHS to gain a comfortable lead.

RHS now only had to beat us once more to progress to the finals, so it all depended on the next race. The start-line was confused by a sudden wind-shift with 30 seconds to go that meant most of the fleet did not manage to cross the start line on starboard tack. Reacting quickly, Luke (K), ably-crewed by Max (K), tacked off onto the favourable port tack. Meanwhile, Alex (G) and his crew Jack (G) tactically covered the RHS boats on the left while Rupert and Thomas covered the one RHS boat that had gone right, holding them in a lock. Again, we reached mark 1 in a competitive position – 2,3,5. However, the RHS boat in 1st did their best to slow us down allowing their teammates to catch up. The fleet compressed on the approach to mark three. Frustratingly, RHS successfully managed to give our boat in 2nd a penalty, meaning they were in a winning 1,3 combination that they held through to the finish line. This meant RHS progressed to the final while we went into the petit final against MCS.

Both teams were extremely well matched, and we were even more determined to win the petit final given that we had beaten MCS Black in the round-robin stage earlier in the day. However, we lost the first race after two of our boats were recalled for being over the start line early. This put us under a lot of pressure: we could not lose another race. We responded to this pressure well and adapted our tactics to suit our opponents as we lined up to start against them for the third time that day. Rupert and Thomas forced the opponents down the line towards the committee end, and even forced one of the MCS boats over the line early as well as giving them spins in the process. This left a gap at the committee boat end which Luke, sailing with Max, and Alex, sailing with Jack, capitalised on. We had taken control of the race from the start and, although one of our boats did get penalised and effectively put into last place, the other two sailed on to take 1st and 2nd. Alex and Jack showed impressive boat speed here, making quick progress up the final beat to cross 1st.

At one all, the petit final now all came down to the deciding race. Once again, Rupert and Thomas were on the hunt pre-start, giving one of the MCS boats a penalty and opening a gap at the committee end. We reached mark 1 in a 2,3,5 combination which meant we were in the lead but only narrowly. After an eventful downwind which saw multiple gybing-battles, the fleet compressed at mark 3 as MCS’ boat in 1st attempted a mark trap. The so-called ‘washing machine’ ensued, as all 6 boats gybed instantaneously. Fortunately, we held our position of 2,3,5 but MCS still had one more trick up their sleeve. Their boat in 1st attempted a risky gybe-back manoeuvre at mark 4 to try and save the race for their team. While they did take out one of our boats, they left a gap for Alex and Rupert to move into 1st and 2nd place – a position which they held on the final upwind, meaning we had won the deciding race and the petit final.

Overall, we finished in 3rd place from 18 teams attending illustrating how much our team has developed over the past few years. The highlight was also being awarded the prize for good sportsmanship, as voted by the volunteers on the race committee. Congratulations to Sevenoaks who won the event overall, and we look forward to returning to Farmoor next weekend for the next instalment: the Eric Twiname Team Racing Championships. [Rupert B (K) and Max B (K)].

Rowing ~ Avon Bluefriars

We entered 2 divisions both over the longer course of 3250m. Our first crew to take to the water was a 4+, 3 boys from VI Book 2, 1 from V Book and the cox an MP. It was brilliant to have a crew from across the year groups. They navigated the course well, racing against university crews pushed them on as they came through the finish line looking possibly tired while still putting in a strong final effort. The second division was a busy one for WCBC, 3 singles of Martha (E), Rufus (A) and Nurtai (F). 3 doubles of Jack (C) and Will (D), Theo (F) and Ben (Coll), Michael (C) and Chris (A). Finally, a J15 quad of cox Miles (F), stroke Rosco (F), followed by Richard (A), Xavier (C) and Caspar (F).

Martha and Rufus were very successful in their single races, both showing brilliant determination, strength and endurance to come out on top winning in their categories! Nurtai also putting in a great effort finishing just 40 seconds behind Rufus. Jack and Will managed to stay in their boat even though they had a near miss with a tricky bridge to navigate while rowing, they put in their final push with a whole 1 kilometre to go to make up for their near collision, they were closely followed in time by Michael and Chris’ 2x who, in turn were also closely followed by Ben and Theo. Only 3 seconds separating the 3 WCBC doubles crews.

The quad put in a great effort against Bryanston and Westminster who just managed to get ahead, just 20 seconds separating all 3 crews. Miles kept the crew in high spirits as he encouraged them down the course avoiding bridges and banks, the crew stayed together and put in a good Sports Department push for the finish line. All crews had wind and navigation to manage along with the rowing, it was a great effort by WCBC, especially for our 2 winners! (SG)

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

Sporting quote for the week:

“Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do ordinary things better than anyone else.” (Chuck Noll, former NFL Coach)

M.S. Burley

Director of Sport

8th October 2024

X: @WinCollSports