​Harry Talks climaxed a double Winchester comeback, scoring two late goals as the city visitors twice came from behind to beat high flying Reading II at Sonning - their eventual 5-4 win probably securing their South Premier Division 1 status.
Winchester were 2-1 down and much later 4-3 adrift when Talks turned the game on its head with a late brace.
Winchester had travelled to second placed Reading with no real expectations of a positive result, especially having been beaten 4-2 by the Berkshire side at Kings’ earlier in the season.
But Winchester started the brightest with some great play down the right-hand channel, where Ben Hibberd found Talks (left) on the right-hand side of the D. His initial shot was saved by the Reading keeper, who deflected it into the path of Hibberd to give the visitors the lead. 
Reading rallied and had the majority of the ball, resulting in two quick-fire goals which keeper Conor Baverstock could do little about. 
Winchester remained positive and, after some neat work down the right-hand side from Joe Jenkinson,  Harry Cooke was picked out. His rasping shot at the top of the D went through the keeper’s legs making it 2-2 at half-time.
Winchester restarted confidently, creating chances and then a penalty corner, neatly converted by Harry Trussler, who sent the ball flying into the bottom left-hand corner to give Winchester a 3-2 lead. 
Despite some stalwart defending from Will Sadler, Reading responded strongly with two quick goals to retake the lead at 4-3.
Winchester then produced arguably the best team goal of their season with a series of passes all the way from the back which eventually found Harry Cooke on the left hand side. Talks then played a wall pass with Hibberd, who laid it back for the youngster to make it 4-4.
But Talks wasn’t finished, going on to score a superb individual goal, taking on two Reading defenders, rounding the keeper before burying on his reverse stick to give Winchester a dramatic 5-4 win. 

​

Two Repton goals in each half sentenced Trojans to a 4-0 defeat in England Hockey's Under-18 Cup semi-final at Stoneham Lane.  Pictured is one of two penalty corners Trojans forced in the second half, the drag flicks being well saved by the Repton keeper.

Teenage Fareham hockey talent Charlie Cook is unlikely to forget his 15th birthday for a while …
Already elated at his selection for England Under-16s against Ulster, Cook crowned his celebrations by scoring a goal on his International debut in the three-match series at Lilleshall.
“It was certainly the icing on the cake,” beamed Cook, whose England side beat the Irish 3-0, 5-0 and then 9-0.
“Every member of the squad played in two of the three matches, so we all got an opportunity to show the England selectors what we could do and, hopefully, ink our names in for tournament matches in Holland and Germany later in the year.”
Cook’s selection follows a successful England Hockey Futures Tournament for Saxton Tigers and a series of demanding and energy sapping coaching weekends at Lilleshall national sports centre, writes Mike Vimpany. 
Hockey has been in Charlie’s blood almost since he began to walk and run – his father Nigel having been a prominent player for Fareham in their Bath Lane days and, more recently, the team’s coach and manager.
“I was about four years when dad bought me my first hockey stick and a couple of years later I began playing mini’s for Fareham’s Under-8 team,” he recalled.
Cook junior now plays for Fareham’s second team, alongside his school commitments at Seaford College, where he is coached by former Great Britain international Ben Barnes, past coach at Henry Cort.
Selection for England has far from being straightforward for Cook, who had to impress at several trial weekends before being picked.
He said: “The weekends were pretty demanding. Up early and on the training pitches soon after breakfast, working on individual and team skills, on top of working out in the gym.
“It was hard work, but the rewards are there.  I’d like to think that playing against Ulster will be the stepping stone for the European tournaments on the calendar.
“Believe me, I shall be giving it everything.  This is a wonderful opportunity and I don’t plan to miss it.”
* Trojans midfielder Matt Dicker was one of Charlie Cook's England team-mates.

Mike Ward, a key and hugely respected figure in hockey across the South for very many years has passed away in a Bournemouth hospital, where he was awaiting heart surgery. He was only months away from celebrating his 80th birthday and becoming an Octogenarian.
He held countless voluntary roles for national and county hockey Associations, many as Chairman and was an absolute stalwart of the game for half a century. He had only recent stepped down as Hampshire HA chairman.
A well known figure on club touchlines where he frequently assessed and tutored umpires, Mike was awarded England Hockey’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 (pictured) as recognition for his phenomenal contribution to hockey in so many ways. 
Upon receiving his award at ad dinner in London, he said he was “taken aback, totally surprised and almost emotional. I had absolutely no idea it was coming. 
“I’m generally not one for awards but feel immensely proud to have been recognised by England Hockey in this way. First and foremost, I’m an administrator and thoroughly enjoy all I do for the game.”
He was a lawyer by profession and that skill was not lost in the way he managed discipline across Hampshire and the South in general, and as such granted him great respect. 
                                                                                      Goalkeeper
Mike pioneered the formation of League hockey in the South of England chairing the South League structure for 49 years until the area restructure carried out by England Hockey for the season 2021/22.   The South league was by far the largest league in the country.
He also chaired Hampshire Hockey association for a similar period including the amalgamation of the Men’s and Ladies associations.
He used to play in goal for Bournemouth on the grass pitches at Kinson and represented Hampshire on occasions. 
After retiring from playing, he moved into umpiring across the South, officiating at least one county cup final.
An avid military historian, Mike also served on the management committee of England Hockey, taking a particular interest in indoor hockey, which was strong in the South. He accompanied the England team on several trips in the 80s.
Fareham chairman Colin Bradbury said: We will remember him as a great servant to Hampshire clubs, in particular; someone who would represent our interests further afield.” 
He was also a willing and entertaining after dinner speaker, singing for his supper at numerous club functions, usually in return for a decent bottle of red wine! 
Bradbury added: “He was a great administrator over many years who is a sad loss from the hockey family.”
There will be a private family cremation and, in due course, a Celebration of Mike’s life to which the hockey family will be welcome. More details later.

Fareham’s Western Conference promotion prospects took a knock when, for the second time this season, Exeter-based Isca put five goals past them.
Isca won 5-1 in the west country in the second round of fixtures in mid-October and repeated the dose with a fully deserved 5-2 victory at gale lashed Henry Cort.
The result saw Fareham blown off top spot – quite literally – and drop down to third, though in an increasingly congested situation only three points separate the top five sides after 12 matches.
Fareham saw new leaders Bristol University wipe away a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 seven days earlier.
They took the lead again against Isca – the team’s penalty corner techniques clearly improving as Niall Stott drove Fergus Jackson’s injection across the face of the visitors’ goal and Chris Davey applied the finish.
It didn’t take Isca too long to equalize – with the first of three converted short corners, tucked away by Tom Brooks.
By half-time Fareham had fallen behind – Cuthbert Shepherd getting a deflection to a waspish cross-shot which fizzed across the goalmouth.
Davey’s ten-minute stint in the sin-bin for a rash challenge at the start of the second period hardly helped Fareham’s cause.
But, despite being a man down, Fareham did manage to claw it back to 2-2 through Stott, from another successful penalty corner.
Fareham did enjoy periods of pressure after that, but Isca were the better side and consecutive short corner conversions saw them lead 4-2 before Shepherd scored the fifth from a penalty stroke.

​The window cleaning Davey brothers scored all three goals as Fareham swept into a 3-0 lead after only 23 minutes of their top-of-the-table Western Conference clash with Bristol University at rain lashed Henry Cort.
But, after a remarkable second half turnaround, it was Fareham who were left hanging on for a 3-3 draw after the Bristol students had scored three goals of their own in a devastating eight-minute spell.
Despite having their six-match winning sequence ended, Fareham remain top of the log as second placed Ashmoor crashed 4-0 at Isca.
That result sets up another top match for Fareham this Sunday when Exeter-based Isca – now third in the table, two points behind George Harris’s side – come to Henry Cort, 1.30pm.
Bristol could neither cope with the initially atrocious wet conditions or the devastating Davey duo in the opening stages and appeared to be headed for a crushing defeat, with Fareham keen to avenge a 5-2 defeat in the autumn at Coombe Dingle.
The Davey brothers threw the mop and bucket at Bristol, with Chris bagging his 16th minute goal in between George’s sixth and 23rd minute strikes.
Fareham’s finishing was clinical, the team purring with confidence at the half-time break.
How the game changed in the next 35 minutes, with Fareham’s slick passing game falling apart as Bristol applied a high press.
Fareham lost control of the midfield and were pinned back in their own half as first Tom Harris cut the gap from a penalty corner and then Bristol scored twice in 90 seconds – Chris White making it 2-1 before Harris equalised – to turn the game on its head.
As weather conditions marginally improved, so Fareham kept their heads, goalkeeper Alex White pulling off several good saves – the table topping hosts  repelling two late Bristol short corners to hold out for a 3-3 draw.