Winchester City Flyers hosted Becaonsfield Town on Sunday in a top-of-the-table match at the Charters Community Stadium.

The game started slowly with a few chances from either side until the 38th minute, when the Flayers were awarded a penalty.

Chelsie Hay stepped up and calmly converted it, giving Winchester the 1 – 0 lead they were so desperately chasing.

HT : Winchester City Flyers 1 – 0 Beaconfield Town

The second half saw a rise in tension, particularly from Beconsfield’s bench, with their coach receiving a warning from the referee.

With the visiting team one goal behind, Beaconsfield number four Ruby Harris cracked under pressure and was given a yellow card that sent her off to the sin bin for ten minutes.

Winchester’s momentum was briefly halted when their number seve, Libby Wilkinson, suffered a serious injury and was forced to leave the pitch.

Despite the setback, the Flayers held their game together and sealed the win with a goal deep into added time.

This result sees Winchester level on points with Beaconsfield, giving them a steady start to the season. 

FT : Winchester City Flyers 2 – 0 Beaconfield Town

After the final whistle, Winchester head coach Emma Pearmine praised her squad’s resilience and determination:

“It felt really good. It’s definitely not our strongest performance we’ve had some key players missing today, but the battle from the team to get that win has been outstanding, and to get that last goal right at the last minute was pretty sweet.”

Winchester player Sophie Byway, who had to watch the game on the sidelines due to an injury, siad: “It was a hard and long game. Tensions were high, but they dealt with it very well, and they worked as a team”

Colden Common will avoid relegation in their debut season, according to their assistant manager.

Eleven games in, a bullish Louis Howie told Winchester News Online that Colden Common will stay up in this year’s Wessex Division One. 

Colden Common started the season poorly with a 5-2 defeat to last season’s runners up Frimley Green on the opening day, which was followed up to a 4-1 defeat to Fleetlands 

Following Saturday’s draw with Ash United, the Stallions are joint fifth but stay sixth due to goal difference.

The Green Army took the lead through Luca Scanella’s curler before former Winchester City forward Ben Sunley’s volley levelled the game before half-time. 

On the 1-1 draw against Ash United: “It is a tough one really, [I think] Ash were well organised and they will be a threat this season. I thought we kept the ball really well today, we made plenty of chances but it was the same as Thursday [against Blackfield & Langley], just could not get the ball into the net. I think [Ben] Sunley makes a great finish out of nothing really. I think some lads will be a bit disappointed that they did not get a goal today.”

Is it a point gained or two points dropped: “It is definitely two points dropped but it might be an important point in the future. It is a long season, compared to the Hampshire Premier League. It is a marathon, not a sprint – it might be an important point in the future.”

Thoughts on the start of the season: “We have had a tough start to the season, in terms of personnel – we had eight players either injured or suspended. I think we adapted really well [to the Wessex League] but started slowly. I think Cove [away] was a massive turning point, winning that game 4-2 after coming back from two goals down was huge, it has then given the squad confidence.”

“The plan [before the start of the season] was to avoid relegation battle, I personally think we are better than that and I do not want to jump the gun too much but we will definitely be playing Wessex league football next season.”

The main tournament will take place in Gibraltar between 19-28 September next year

Charlotte Dunkley helped her team qualify for the World Netball Youth Cup, but unfortunately, she will not be able to participate in the tournament after being ruled ineligible due to her age when the event takes place.

Having previously played for Weston Park Blades in Winchester as her first club, Charlotte took part in the qualifiers held in Cardiff between 24-29 September and helped Scotland qualify for the tournament.

Wales and Northern Ireland will also join Scotland in qualifying from the European section. The event featured players from the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, and the UAE.

Originally Charlotte began playing Netball when she was eight at her local primary school after joining an after-school club which piqued her interest in the sport.

This led her to join Weston Park Blades located in Winchester, which would lead to her signing her first professional contract with Surrey Storm when she was 18.

To begin with, Charlotte wasn’t entirely sure if she was going to be able to make the qualifiers after sustaining an injury not too long before the tournament began, but she was determined to make sure she was fit for it as she knew this would be her last event at the under-21 level before ageing out.

Also said it was “something special” to be able to help her team qualify and be a part of the team even though she wouldn’t be able to take part in the World Cup.

When asked about her future goals and aims Charlotte said that the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow held in two years’ time and the Netball World Cup in Sydney in 2027.

As well as getting an international call-up for Scotland, but had been on the radar of the senior squad with them coming down to watch how she and her team performed in Cardiff in the qualifiers, with possibly wanting to call some of them up to the national team in November.

Recently Charlotte had transferred from Surrey Storm to London Pulse saying that going into the previous season she felt like she didn’t have any major expectations of herself and just played freely with no pressure on her shoulders as she wasn’t a senior member of the team having only joined that season but just wanting to improve and make herself a more rounded player.

She believes that the people who have gone before her like the England Women’s Commonwealth Gold medalists help to inspire the next generation and encourage anyone else to go in with an open mind who wants to pick up a Netball and get involved in the sport.