Post by malcolm on Apr 7, 2024 18:35:52 GMT 1
Winchester began the 2024/25 tax year in the same way that they begun the 2023/24 tax year with a home league victory on a Saturday, but they certainly hope that unlike last year they do not have to wait 343 days until a similar success.
The result moves Winchester back up into 10th position above local rivals Basingstoke Town and at the time of writing they had games in handover all of the teams above them in the table. This was Winchester's sixth home league win of the season and for the first time in this campaign they have as many league wins as losses on home soil.
Their 1-0 success achieved through Ollie Griggs's first league goal of the season put Hungerford five points outside the playoff positions with just three games remaining, while Winchester have already bettered last season's points total with six game remaining.
Hungerford had won their last two competitive fixtures on Winchester's ground including a F A Trophy match earlier in the season sol the result represented revenge for Winchester for whom goalkeeper Luke Cairney was playing against his former club, while on the other side of the coin Hungerford manager Danny Robinson was a former Winchester boss.
Hungerford relegated from the National League South last season had recently won three league matches in a row to move close to the playoffs, but a defeat at the hands of fifth placed Merthyr Town on Easter Monday and today made it unlikely they will achieve this. They won through three rounds of the F A Trophy this season and bought a coach load of supporters to Saturday's game which helped swell the attendance to 410/
Winchester made four changes to the starting line-up from Monday with I K Hill, Ollie Balmer, Ollie Griggs and Jordan Rose replacing Simba Mlambo, Max Smith, Dan Jones and Stuart Mott, with the four replaced players all being on substitutes bench.
The wind was a significant feature of the game and after the contest both managers thought their teams had played better against the wind.
Early on Luke Cairney in the Winchester goal made a good save from Conor McDonagh, a player with a good scoring record against Winchester both in the colours of Swindon Supermarine and Hungerford At the other end Ollie Balmer hit the woodwork. Jordan Rose had a header saved following a corner. Tommy Wright shooting just wide, Trevor Caborn stinging the hands of the experienced Ryan Clark in the Hungerford goal with his effort and Trevor Caborn and I K Hill bothy putting in crosses that no-one could get a decisive touch to.
However the nearest we came to a goal in the game's first period was when Luke Luke Cairney made an excellent save to deny Josiah Bridgeman whose follow up shot resulted in an excellent goal line clearance by a Winchester player. Cairney also made a routine save to deny Fabio Lopes, but it was generally thought that in the goalless first half Hungerford had at least as much of the game as Winchester despite playing against the wind.
Early in the second half Caborn forced a further save from Ryan Clarke, but Cairney then made an even better save to deny Bridgeman, The value of that save became apparent when midway through the second half when I K Hill crossed for Ollie Griggs to score the opener. Shortly after going ahead Winchester made three substitutions in quick succession with Simba Mlambo replacing Tommy Wright, Max Smith replacing Ollie Balmer and Stuart Mott replacing I K Hill.
Mlambo's pace was a threat to Hungerford and he created a couple of chances for himself that he could not finish and he also set up fellow substitute Smith whose effort was saved by Clarke. Jamie Barron also came close with a long range effort and although Hungerford were always dangerous as an attacking force Winchester defended well enough to deny them any major goals coring opportunities.
IN added on time Hungerford substitute Elliott Dugan received a red card. Few people saw the incident that led to his dismissal, but the referee's assistant drew the referee's attention to what he had seen and so the player who was receiving treatment for an injury at the time was dismissed from the field of play.
In the F A Trophy match between the clubs earlier in the season an accidental collision between Winchester's Trevor Caborn and Hungerford's Jack Stanley led to both players leaving the field with nasty injuries, but both players had good games on Saturday with Caborn who was at one stage a doubt for the game being his usual menacing self on the wing and Hungerford voting Stanley as their man of the match.
After Tuesday's match at Poole which according to Poole's twitter feed is being played at Dorchester, Winchester are away to Bracknell on Saturday, at home to Merthyr on the following Tuesday and away to Tiverton two days after that.
The result moves Winchester back up into 10th position above local rivals Basingstoke Town and at the time of writing they had games in handover all of the teams above them in the table. This was Winchester's sixth home league win of the season and for the first time in this campaign they have as many league wins as losses on home soil.
Their 1-0 success achieved through Ollie Griggs's first league goal of the season put Hungerford five points outside the playoff positions with just three games remaining, while Winchester have already bettered last season's points total with six game remaining.
Hungerford had won their last two competitive fixtures on Winchester's ground including a F A Trophy match earlier in the season sol the result represented revenge for Winchester for whom goalkeeper Luke Cairney was playing against his former club, while on the other side of the coin Hungerford manager Danny Robinson was a former Winchester boss.
Hungerford relegated from the National League South last season had recently won three league matches in a row to move close to the playoffs, but a defeat at the hands of fifth placed Merthyr Town on Easter Monday and today made it unlikely they will achieve this. They won through three rounds of the F A Trophy this season and bought a coach load of supporters to Saturday's game which helped swell the attendance to 410/
Winchester made four changes to the starting line-up from Monday with I K Hill, Ollie Balmer, Ollie Griggs and Jordan Rose replacing Simba Mlambo, Max Smith, Dan Jones and Stuart Mott, with the four replaced players all being on substitutes bench.
The wind was a significant feature of the game and after the contest both managers thought their teams had played better against the wind.
Early on Luke Cairney in the Winchester goal made a good save from Conor McDonagh, a player with a good scoring record against Winchester both in the colours of Swindon Supermarine and Hungerford At the other end Ollie Balmer hit the woodwork. Jordan Rose had a header saved following a corner. Tommy Wright shooting just wide, Trevor Caborn stinging the hands of the experienced Ryan Clark in the Hungerford goal with his effort and Trevor Caborn and I K Hill bothy putting in crosses that no-one could get a decisive touch to.
However the nearest we came to a goal in the game's first period was when Luke Luke Cairney made an excellent save to deny Josiah Bridgeman whose follow up shot resulted in an excellent goal line clearance by a Winchester player. Cairney also made a routine save to deny Fabio Lopes, but it was generally thought that in the goalless first half Hungerford had at least as much of the game as Winchester despite playing against the wind.
Early in the second half Caborn forced a further save from Ryan Clarke, but Cairney then made an even better save to deny Bridgeman, The value of that save became apparent when midway through the second half when I K Hill crossed for Ollie Griggs to score the opener. Shortly after going ahead Winchester made three substitutions in quick succession with Simba Mlambo replacing Tommy Wright, Max Smith replacing Ollie Balmer and Stuart Mott replacing I K Hill.
Mlambo's pace was a threat to Hungerford and he created a couple of chances for himself that he could not finish and he also set up fellow substitute Smith whose effort was saved by Clarke. Jamie Barron also came close with a long range effort and although Hungerford were always dangerous as an attacking force Winchester defended well enough to deny them any major goals coring opportunities.
IN added on time Hungerford substitute Elliott Dugan received a red card. Few people saw the incident that led to his dismissal, but the referee's assistant drew the referee's attention to what he had seen and so the player who was receiving treatment for an injury at the time was dismissed from the field of play.
In the F A Trophy match between the clubs earlier in the season an accidental collision between Winchester's Trevor Caborn and Hungerford's Jack Stanley led to both players leaving the field with nasty injuries, but both players had good games on Saturday with Caborn who was at one stage a doubt for the game being his usual menacing self on the wing and Hungerford voting Stanley as their man of the match.
After Tuesday's match at Poole which according to Poole's twitter feed is being played at Dorchester, Winchester are away to Bracknell on Saturday, at home to Merthyr on the following Tuesday and away to Tiverton two days after that.