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Colden Common come back from two goals down to hammer Paulsgrove

Taylor-James Greer

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Colden Common extended their unbeaten run to four games following their 6-2 win over Paulsgrove on Saturday, which even saw the Stallions two goals down inside the first-half.

Moulay Ousman’s header before a close-range strike by Blaze Pearce saw Grove comfortable in front inside 24 minutes.

But moments before the break, Ollie Riddell found the back of the net from a corner.

HT: Colden Common 1–2 Paulsgrove

Early in the second-half, the Stallions controlled the opening stages. Brad Letherbridge was denied by Grove keeper Joe Boxall multiple times, with Callum Archer and Alpay Ali both coming close to an equaliser but Colden Common finally got the goal they deserved. Will Butcher’s lacktsuer clearance fell straight to Archer, who made no mistake inside the box.

Young forward Braden Collins picked out Ali from outside the box, who rifled a low drive past Boxall from outside the box as Colden Common took the lead.

Three goals later on in the second-half helped sercue an comfortable victory for the Stallions. An unmarked Letherbridge, lurking at the back post, headed the ball back into the box, for Will Erdinc to knock past Boxall. Ali was on target just five minutes later, slotting in the rebound from Josh Harvey-Grey’s effort, and late-on as the former Gosport Borough striker netted his 19th goal of the season.

FT: Colden Common 6-2 Paulgrove 

Alpay Ali celebrating his hat-trick

Colden Common head coach Steve King told WINOL after Saturday’s victory: “We’re in good form and I was confident we will create opportunities within the game – we dominated overall, but conceded two early goals. We were clinical in-front of goal, I am pleased with the squads overall performance.”

Only ten points separate Liss Athletic [in fifth] and Moneyfields Reserves [in 15th, and in the drop zone]. 

Colden Common have now leapfrogged Hook, who were defeated 2-1 against Hayling United.

Colden Common head coach Steve King [right]

Life under Steve King

King was a part of the management team at Wessex Premier League outfit Baffins Milton Rovers last season, where the club achieved a seventh place finish and won the League Cup back in May, before he was appointed as head coach at Colden Common after the departure of Nathan Morgan and Connor Doswell – who joined Alresford Town. 

During Morgan and Doswell’s time at the Stallions the club won back-to-back Hampshire Premier League trophies and were crowned Hampshire Premier Senior Cup winners, last season. 

Colden Common has seen a large chunk of their squad now playing at Alrebury Park in Alresford’s return to step six football, following their relegation from the Wessex Premier League. 

A much younger Colden Common squad has seen the club in a relegation battle for a majority of the season but wins against Hook, Fleet Spurs, Hayling and, now, Paulsgrove in recent weeks has allowed the club to be eight points clear of the drop zone. 

King explained to WINOL: “It’s been a tough season but I have enjoyed it massively.”

“The youth setup could potentially be massive for us as we look to build a pathway, but I knew it would be tough to create a team that can compete [in the Hampshire Premier League].

“I’ve been confident in these boys all season. We’re hoping for a strong finish to the season to push as high as we can in the league.”

New signings

Ahead of the final few weeks of the season, King has brought in a few additions to help secure a top-half finish in his debut season. 

The club has announced the signings of Archer and Cameron Scott [both from Fleetlands], experienced defender Nathan Primus [Petersfield Town], Jacob Keyse [Hythe & Didben] and Portuguese striker Mauro Morias [Paulsgrove]. 

Morias scored and suffered an injury on his debut against Hook.

Experience is going to be critical at this stage of the season as Colden Common will look to finish in the top-half of the season, despite being near the relegation zone nearly all season. 

What is next for both sides?

King’s side continue their fine form when the Stallions take on local rivals Stockbridge next Saturday at Oakwood Park, which was described as a potential ‘entertaining game’ by the former Baffins coach.

Paulsgrove are on the road yet again on Wednesday evening as they take on title challengers Locks Heath, who were victorious at Kennels Lane at the weekend against rock-bottom Fleet Spurs. Grove will continue their season with another away tie, this time in Romsey, against Bishops Waltham Dynamos – three days later, next Saturday.

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Football

Meira Ashby seals dramatic comeback for Wycombe Wanderers

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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Wycombe Wanderers made a dramatic comeback with two goals from Meira Ashby, the second of which put her side ahead in the 63rd minute.

Winchester’s Chelsie Hay opened the scoring in the 16th minute and doubled the lead shortly after, giving the flayers a comfortable 2-0 lead and the hope of being able to equal in points with the opponents in the league table. 

HT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 0 Wycombe Wanderers 

A first goal for the visiting team came in the 57th minute through Kayla Potter, giving the Wanderers a renewed belief in being able to win the game. Just minutes later, Meira Ashby struck twice, in the 61st and 63rd minutes, completing the turnaround and securing the comebackthat keeps the Wanderers comfortably at the top of the table. 

FT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 3 Wycombe Wanderers 

The Winchester Flyers take the loss and remain behind Wycombe Wanderers in the league standings, meanwhilethe wanderers stay in first place for yet another week. The result adds pressure on Winchester to keep pace, while it further strengthens Wycombe’s position as title contenders.

Next up for Winchester is another home fixture, this time against Southampton Women’s FC 

Waycombe Wanderers will face Abingdon United FC in their next match.

Both teams head into their upcoming fixtures with very different momentum.  Winchester will be looking to regroup and be able to keep their first-half performance into the full 90 minutes, while Wycombe will aim to keep building on what they have been doing and maintain their place at the top of the table

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Beyond the punches: The real basics of boxing for beginners

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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Boxing might look aggressive from the outside, making it easy to overlook the discipline, technique, and community that actually define the sport. 

Walking into a boxing gym for the first time can feel intimidating, but most beginners are surprised by how structured and supportive the environment is.

At Winchester Boxing Club, head coach Filip Duda says the fundamental key of boxing for beginners is footwork, “get that right”, he explains, “then everything else comes quite naturally”. This is a reminder that the sport isn’t just about throwing punches, but about learning how to move, balance and stay in control.

For beginners, that means starting with the basics: understanding your stance, keeping your guard up, and building confidence through repetition. 

Another coach at the club emphasised the importance of mastering the fundamentals not only physically but also mentally. “Understanding that you are not always going to win and that you most likely will lose your first fight”, she says, is just as important as the physical part of the sport. 

Boxing is also often viewed as a male-dominated sport. Some of the women training in Winchester admitted that it is challenging at times to be in such a male-dominated sport; however, she said it has been amazing and empowering to join this sport.

While every boxer’s journey starts differently, the message across the club is the same: anyone is welcome to give the sport a try. 

From building fitness to gaining confidence, boxing offers something valuable to everyone who walks through the door. 

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Sport

Squash finally secures its Olympic debut at LA 2028

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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The Olympics are the biggest sporting stage in the world, the place every athlete dreams of reaching one day.

For squash players, however, that dream has been out of reach.

That will finally change at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where Squash is set to make its long awaited Olympic debut as one of five sports added to this edition of the Games.

Squash was invented in England during the 19th century, and since then it has grown into a global sport, played in more than 180 countries. 

Squash is a fast-paced racket sport played indoors in a four-walled court. Players rally a small rubber ball against the walls, using speed, precision and placement to make it as difficult as possible for their opponent to return the shot.

Despite its worldwide reach and its presence in other major multi-sport events such as the  Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the World Games, squash has never been part of the Olympic Games program. The closest it has been to appearing in the games before was at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, where it appeared as a demonstration sport.

Over the years, the sport has made several bids for inclusion; London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but each attempt was unsuccessful. After decades of campaigning, the sport has finally earned a spot in the competition.

A key factor in squash’s inclusion can be attributed to the evolution of its facilities. The modern glass courts allow spectators to see the action of the game from every angle, making the sport more accessible for fans and broadcasters. These innovations have made squash a more television-friendly event, and this is one of the factors that helped it secure its spot on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

This Olympic recognition is expected to boost the popularity of the sport worldwide, increasing participation, investment in the sport and visibility, helping squash grow and establish itself as a major sport.  

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