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Winchester City: Keeper Cairney rescues point with another late penalty

Elliot Macvie

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Winchester City goalkeeper Luke Cairney scored a second penalty in two games to earn his side a point against Hungerford Town.

This was the third time in less than a month that Winchester and Hungerford faced each other – the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup, before the Citizens snatched a 1-0 win in the replay.

City came into the game in dire need of some points, having picked up just a single victory from their opening nine league outings.

But visitors Hungerford arrived full of confidence following their 3-1 FA Trophy win over Sholing.

It was Winchester who had the first opportunity of the game, a Trevor Caborn shot from the edge of the area sailing just over the bar.

But it was Hungerford who opened the scoring on 13 minutes, a Louis McGrory corner being met by a pinpoint header from Baboucarr Jarra.

Shortly after the half-hour mark the visitors came inches away from doubling the lead when a Jacob Bancroft effort was saved by a last-ditch clearance from Winchester’s Callum Buckley.

But just two minutes later Hungerford did find that all-important second when a shot rebounded straight to the feet of Elis Watts, who slotted a clever back heel into the net.

Any hope of a Winchester comeback was looking unlikely as the half time whistle approached, but a Jamie Barron corner in first-half stoppage time founds its way to Kieran Douglas, whose towering header was enough to cut the deficit to one.

City came out for the second half a changed team; despite an unpleasant-looking injury to the goalscorer Douglas, momentum had very clearly swung in their favour.

A shot from Caborn was put just over the bar after some lovely work in the build up from Ik Hill.

Cairney to the rescue

On the hour mark a Hungerford defender was penalised for a foul on Caborn inside the area, and Winchester had a spot-kick.

In came goalkeeper Luke Cairney, whose last-minute strike from 12 yards rescued a point against Poole Town in midweek.

Cairney’s penalty sent his opposite number the wrong way, and City were level once again.

With five minutes to go Hungerford’s Watts slipped a nice ball through to Dawid Regula, but his powerful shot was denied by the legs of Cairney.

The final whistle blew with both sides believing they could have taken all three points, but in the end they were made to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Winchester will travel to Swindon Supermarine in midweek looking to pick up a first league win since August.

City ran out 5-2 winners when the sides met earlier this month, but Swindon will come into the game high on confidence after their 4-0 weekend win against Tiverton Town.

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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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Sport

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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