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Southampton held at home after Ipswich Town late leveller

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The Saints picked up their first point of the season against the Tractor Boys after Ipswich captain, Sam Morsy, netted in added time to deny Russell Martin’s side of all three points.

After progressing in the cup midweek on penalties against Everton, Southampton looked to build on that performance and carry those positive results into their league games, where they were yet to pick up a point. They faced fellow promoted side Ipswich Town on Saturday, who did the double over the Saints last season.

Four of the starters from the cup match were also chosen to start against Ipswich, including the scorer from that game, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who was a forced replacement to cover for the suspended Jack Stephens. Adam Lallana, Ryan Fraser and Charie Taylor were also called in for the starting 11.

Like they did against Manchester United, Southampton came strong out of the gates, but this time they were able to make their pressure count; the two Southampton academy graduates, Adam Lallana and Tyler Dibling, linked up to give Saints an early lead, as the latter cooly slotted the ball past Arijanet Muric to claim his first Premier League goal.

Ipswich tried to get back into the game immediately, as they applied some pressure of their own on the Southampton backline. However, despite a succession of fast-paced attacks and set pieces, Kieran McKenna’s side couldn’t find a quick leveller.

The Saints were able to get a good spell of possession shortly after, which created a massive opportunity for them to double their lead. Cameron Archer, who missed a penalty in the last game, was fed through by Dibling and was able to sneak between the two Ipswich centre backs and round the goalkeeper, but was only able to hit the post from the narrow angle he created from himself.

Ipswich created some great chances of their own later in the half; Leif Davis had an effort from close range and Omari Hutchinson hit a curler from outside the box, but both were denied by Aaron Ramsdale to keep Saints ahead heading into the break.

Southampton were able to keep some momentum going through to the second half, as they created some great chances early in the half.

Cameron Archer was once again able to slip past the Ipswich defenders but was unable to tap it past Muric in a one-on-one situation. And not long after, Archer was involved again, as Mateus Fernandes slid in a ball across the face of goal, which Archer was unable to covert at the back post.

In the 59th minute, Russell Martin made his first substitutions of the day, taking off Archer, Lallana and Fraser, for Ross Stewart, Lesley Ugochukwu and Ben Brereton Diaz, who looked to close out the game for the Saints and gain some crucial points.

The energy in the game almost boiled over a little later, as arguments broke out after a foul on Jan Bednarek; Flynn Downes and Liam Delap were booked for their actions in the commotion.

Both sides were still creating big chances late on; Brereton Diaz blasted an effort just over the bar from a great position, while Ipswich substitute George Hirst saw his close range header tipped over by Ramsdale as we entered the last few minutes of the game.

But Southampton would end up rueing their missed chances, as in the 95th minute, Ipswich captain Sam Morsy had his shot deflected off Joe Aribo, which guided it into the top corner, out of reach of Ramsdale, breaking Southampton hearts late on.

Despite the bitter ending, the Saints picked up their first point of the season and were able to jump one place up the table to 18th, after Wolves suffered a late defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Russell Martin’s side have just over a week to recover from the bittersweet result, as they take on fellow south coast club Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Monday night.
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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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