Sport
Wessex Division One: Middleton shines in Colden Common’s win over Clanfield

Defender Sam Middleton bagged two goals as Colden Common moved into the top four with a 4-1 win over Clanfield
Ahead of the visit of the Clan, Steve Kings made seven changes from the side that took on Ash United.
The Stallions controlled the early stages of the opening stage.
Brad Lethbridge directed his header wide, before Owen Sims and Cam Stone combined on the right with new signing Joao Ferreira being found on the right, which saw his effort curled wide.
Despite their early dominance, former stallion Matty Rylance swung at a loose ball but his volley flew wide as Charlie Brook’s shot from a tight angle was denied by James Egeland-Jensen.
Colden Common came close to breaking the deadlock when Lethbridge made a darting run from right, which lead to Lethbridge’s shot deflected off Rylance’s attempted block and saw a quick save from Logan O’Donnell to keep the game level.
The chances kept coming for the Stallions. Cal Archer had two chances in quick succession to open the scoring, the former Fleetlands midfielder dragged his effort off target then two minutes he fired wide from close range. Ferreira’s strike was richoeted to the feet of Denny Adams but his ambitious effort from distance curled wide.
Clanfield could of took the lead when Kevin Bosaka won the ball off the pitch from Archer and made a powerful run and picked out Brook, but his low drive was blocked by Egeland-Jensen.
But seven minutes before half-time, the Stallions finally broke the deadlock. Lethbridge capitalised on Bailey Harkin’s lacklustre clearance and floated a cross to an unmarked Middleton, who fired his half-volley past keeper O’Donnell.
HT: Colden Common 1-0 Clanfield
It did not take long for Colden Common to find a second.
After a lovely run from Sims picked out Stone, who drove towards goal and found the back of the net.
Clanfield nearly responded immediately when Joe Briggs was threaded through outside the box but Egeland-Jensen palmed away his strike. But Five minutes later, the Clan were back into the game. A quick-counter attack was finished off by the former Winchester City winger Briggs – for his seventh goal of the season.
Despite some slight pressure from the Clan, Troy Wingfield’s foul on substitute Josh Bowerman saw the Stallions awarded a penalty with just over 20 minutes left to play. Lethbridge fired from the spot to restore Colden Common’s two goal lead, with the former Portsmouth midfielder bagging his third goal in the last five league games.
The chances kept coming as Lethbridge had shot from range and Jimmer Henderson’s attempt was blocked on the line.
In the last ten minutes of the game, Colden Common added a fourth and saw unlikely brace for Middleton. Will Erdinc flicked a loose ball to Lethbridge, who then found Middleton unmarked at the back post as he slotted through the legs of O’Donnell.
Colden Common believed Clanfield should of been reduced to ten men following Callum Stockley’s foul on defender Nathan Primus, who was operating as a striker, but the appeals were waved away and the Clan defender was given a yellow. An free-kick was awarded outside the box, Middleton stepped-up to seal the hat-trick but his strike was struck over the bar.
FT: Colden Common 4-1 Clanfield
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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