U18 Girls

EH Plate Quarter-Final vs tAUNTON vALE - 0-1

Taunton made a quick start ,pressing us back into our own half for the first ten minutes. However, Winchester settled down and got a foothold in the game, with both teams evenly matched. They couldn’t convert the short corner and at half-time the score was 0-0. They made a slow start to the second half and Taunton had a succession of short corners which were well defended but eventually led to a goal. Winchester rallied and fought back, with good runs of play and chances on goal, several hitting the post. Every member of the team worked incredibly hard right up to the final whistle. Very evenly matched teams and a game that could have gone either way, so it was a disappointment to lose 1-0, but a great achievement by the U18 girls to reach this stage of the competition.

U14 Boys

Bs vs Salisbury - 0-5

The score line suggests a tough game for the emerging U14 boys B players but that was really only the case for the first 20 minutes or so as Salisbury (who only run an A team) played a commanding game from the start to soon take a 3-0 lead, despite some heroics from Hugo in the Winchester goal. With many of the Winchester boys new to 11-a-side team match play it was not too surprising that early pressure turned into short corners - a new experience for several of them and a source for some of the Salisbury goals. By half-time the score had reached 4-0 and there was then time well spent reshaping into a formation they felt happier to try. The second half was a much more even contest with action at both ends – thanks to a good defensive platform at the back by the more experienced players. Salisbury did score just once more from an excellent short corner strike and the Winchester boys did attack enough to get shots in on goal and force the odd short corner themselves.

U12 Girls

Hampshire Champions!

The Winchester girls started the tournament playing five pool matches. Starting a little nervously against Basingstoke, they took their time to settle into some nice passing play but although they dominated the game they were unable to find the net until Violet L took a lovely drive into the D and scored a superb goal, first game 1–0 Winchester. Next up was Trojans who always prove to be tough opposition, but on this occasion the Winchester Girls cruised passed the defence twice to win 2–0 with a goal from Aggie H and Zoe J. The players were growing in confidence and Alton - although stronger than they anticipated - were no match for the Winchester team. The defence of Poppy W, Violet L and Sophie W all dealt with any attacks with great counter-attacking play, pushing the midfield and forwards high, helping Aggie H to score another two goals, 2–0 to Winchester.

Now in full flow, Winchester had two more pool games. First up was Havant, who just couldn’t handle the speed of Zoe J, finishing power of Venne B and great baseline runs from Daisy R - the game finished 5–0 to Winchester with goals from Zoe J, Venne B (2), Aggie H and Violet L. Next was Yateley who also struggled to get beyond the halfway line with continuing waves of attack and dominant play by the Winchester girls and the game finished 4–0 to Winchester with goals from Zoe J (2), Aggie and Sophie B.

Topping the pool unbeaten took the girls to a semi-final against Andover who were runners up in their pool games. Starting tentatively the girls took a little time to settle into the game but once they did, normal service resumed with strong tackles and great vision from the defence to make some great long passes, Aggie getting on the end of one for a nicely worked goal. Sophie B then thundered home a short corner nearing the end of the second half to secure a place in the final.

The final was against a strong Haslemere team, who had beaten the Winchester girls in the league this season. This was by far the hardest game of the day but the Winchester girls were determined to finish on top. Cracking tackles from Violet L and Poppy W in defence and controlling play by Venne B in midfield enabled driving runs on both the left and right hand sides from Zoe J and Sophie B, but it was Venne B who found the net to hit home the only goal of the game.

Seven games, seventeen goals and not a goal conceded meant the alternating goalies of Ella R and Lara J both kept clean sheets. A huge thank you to Mark Brett who umpired for us all day too.

The Winchester girls now progress, representing Hampshire, to the South Central Region Finals at Reading HC on April 23rd. This is the first time in Winchester Hockey Club history that they have qualified a Girls U12 team for this competition!