Sport
Eastleigh come from behind to earn draw in manager’s first home game

Credit: Elliot Norton
The draw sees Eastleigh sit 13th in the table after earning five points in the first three games under their new manager, as they extend their unbeaten run to four games following the departure of former head coach Kelvin Davis, who left after the loss to Braintree in late September.
Both goals came from crosses, as Jacob Wakeling’s opener was cancelled out by a towering header from Saunders. The winger cut into the box and jumped highest to meet the deflected cross, powering his header past Laurie Walker.
The header ensured that Bartlett’s first home game in charge didn’t end in defeat, whilst also solidifying their place in mid-table. The draw for Solihull sees them having won only two of their last five matches as they sit 17th in the table.
Ahead of the game, it was confirmed that Eastleigh had signed both Ciaran McGuckin and Luke Skinner on short-term loans, with the former slotting straight into the starting eleven whilst Skinner was among the substitutes.
Scott Bartlett undoubtedly wanted to get off to a winning start at home following the team’s two-nil win away at Truro midweek. Eastleigh started brightest, but both teams struggled to break down each other’s defence. The first half consisted of a battle of the midfield with Solihull opting for a 4-5-1 formation that looked to take control of the middle of the park.
Eastleigh created chances in the first half, finding McGuckin on several occasions, who linked up with Aaron Blair to cause problems for Solihull early on. While there were shots on goal, none found the back of the net, with the best chance of the half falling to Eastleigh’s McGuckin, whose effort forced a save from Walker.
Despite looking more in control, it was Eastleigh who went behind shortly after the second half started as Jacob Wakeling hit home following a low driven cross from Ben Worman, only two minutes after the restart.
Bartlett’s men responded quickly, creating chances that nearly saw them level. Blair and Davis linked up on the right-hand side before a low cross was met again by McGuckin, who saw his effort cleared off the line by Solihull’s defence.
Only a few minutes later and Eastleigh were level as a deflected cross was met by Harvey Saunders, who had drifted into the box.
Both teams pushed on for a winner, with the best chance falling to new Eastleigh signing Luke Skinne,r who came off the bench to replace the injured Aaron Blair. His effort was saved by Walker.
Full time at the Silverlake with the points shared between the teams as the new Eastleigh boss Scott Bartlett continues his undefeated run as manager, having taken five points from his first three games.
‘It’s not about me’
Eastleigh’s head coach Scott Bartlett told Winchester News Online:
“It’s not necessarily about me, but it’s about the players and their relationship with the supporters; it’s really important”
When asked about the injury to Aaron Blair Bartlett said:
‘Obviously just spoken to him but I don’t know, we probably won’t know that for another day or two, but it didn’t look a great one from experience…’
‘We just hope that it’s not long because he’s been brilliant for us since I’ve been here and previously, I understand. He’ll be a miss, but that’s what you have a squad for, and it’s up to someone else to step up while we give Aaron the time to recover.”
Football
Meira Ashby seals dramatic comeback for Wycombe Wanderers
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
Sport
Beyond the punches: The real basics of boxing for beginners
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.
Sport
Squash finally secures its Olympic debut at LA 2028
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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