Winchester Boys were crowned South Under-16 Indoor Hockey champions after winning six and remaining unbeaten in a gruelling seven-match regional tournament at Canterbury.  They now go forward to the national sixes finals at Wolverhampton on January 19.
They dominated their qualifying group, thrashing Wycombe 7-0 and Marlow 5-1 either side of a 2-0 win over Canterbury.  Ironically, Trojans were the only side to check Winchester’s winning run, drawing 1-1 before normal service was resumed with a 2-1 victory over much fancied Surbiton.
Winchester brushed aside a physical Amersham & Chalfont 4-0 in the regional semi-final before clinching the South title with a convincing 5-3 win over Sevenoaks, the Kent side scoring twice later in the game.
Winchester squad: Rory Penrose, Will Whitmore, Matt Duncombe, Giles Hocking, Tom Henley, Alex Georgiou, Ollie Lander and Will Evans.
 

Southampton Ladies
Back (from left): Abi Woodcock, Zoe Stride, Linda Dunham, Rachel Maunder, Bernie Jones, Emma White.  Front: Liv O'Mahony, Devon Greehaigh, Lou Hopkins, Lauren Carter, Sue Merry, Naomi Bulkeley, Nat Romain, Ros Wellington.
Southampton Ladies are enjoying one of their best seasons for years and went into the winter break lying third in South Women’s League Division 3B, with seven wins from their 12 matches so far.  Five wins in the last seven matches – runaway leaders Eastbourne beat them 3-1 at The Saffrons – ensured Southampton ended 2018 on a positive note.
Neighbours Fareham lie fifth, with only one defeat in their last five, but manager/coach Steve Lemon is under pressure to turn too many draws (five in all) into wins to push hard for second place in the New Year.

Trojans, second in South League Premier Division 2.
Back (from left): Steve Cole, Harry Warren, Scott Summers, Chris Jackson, Mark Seeley, Rich Aves, Ben Frost, Dave McNee. Front: Paul Hilton, James Butt, Matt Bridger, Matty Bell, Toby Dudson, Jonny Baker, Ben Cole.

Attired in their smart Brooks MacDonald sponsored kit, Trojans have certainly looked the part – and played it – during the opening half of the 2018/19 season, lying second one point behind Guildford in South League Premier Division 2.
They have won nine of their 11 matches, scoring 48 goals and conceding 14, the best defensive record in SPD2.
Trojans went into the winter break on a high, coming from behind to win 4-1 at Staines, with South African Sinoxolo Mbekeni (aka Essex) equalising. Scott Summers, Dave McNee and Elliott Cole added further goals to give Trojans their victory.
Trojans, whose next match against Guildford at Stoneham Lane on January 19, looks a potential title decider, are also through go the second round of England Hockey’s Tier 2 Premier Cup on the back of a comfortable 4-1 win over Haslemere, the game being tied up by half-time with Dan Ferrier, Paul Hilton, Colin French and Sinoxolo Mbekeni on target.  Tim Greene deservedly pulled a goal back for Haslemere late on.
Trojans’ reward is a second round home tie against Warminster-based West League Championship side West Wilts at Stoneham Lane on February 3.

Winchester scored eight times in their pre-Christmas matches against London Edwardians and Spencer – but lost them both, having been hit for six by high riding South League Premier Division opposition on each occasion !
Edwardians beat them 6-5 in an 11-goal thriller, with table topping Spencer emerging 6-3 winners at Kings’ despite goals by Ben Hibberd, Todd Hutcheson, and Craig Jeffrey.
With their loss rally now eight from 11 matches – seven of which have come since round 3 – Winchester lie third from bottom of the log, having talked of potential promotion after winning their opening two games. It’s certainly been a testing three months for former Fareham goalkeeper George Harris in his initial coaching role.

Skipper Martin Gough led the way as Fareham wiped out a 4-1 half-time deficit to peg Team Bath 4-4 by the final whistle – only to bow out of England Hockey’s Tier 1 Cup in a penalty shoot out.
Head coach Ben Barnes conceded that, despite a fine Jack Gilbert goal set up by George Davey, Fareham had not had a good opening 35 minutes.
“But the second half was much better. We stepped up and pulled our fingers out, with Goughie scoring a great deflection from a Gilbert cross to get us going early on in the period,” he said.
Gough stole in for a good near post goal for his second and Jamie Rawlings drag flick from a penalty corner to make it 4-4 took the tie to penalties.
“It was nothing more than we deserved,” added Barnes. “I was very proud of our second half performance. Penalties are always a bit of a lottery.
“Extra time would have been interesting so it was a shame we did not have that.”
Fareham seconds lie in a comfortable mid-table position in Hampshire/Surrey Regional 1 after 4-1 wins over Sunbury & Walton Hawks and Barnes, respectively.
Teenage ace Kieran Page, the injury prone Phil Larcombe and Paul Metcalf put Sunbury to bed, while Peruvian Sebastian Dennison, Fergus Jackson, Paul Metcalf, Aidan Paige (Kieran’s brother) scored against Barnes.

Chichester wiped out Havant’s first half penalty corner lead to beat their National Hockey League Western Conference neighbours 3-1 and progress to the second round of the cup.
Chichester enjoyed more possession in the opening quarter but one outstanding save by their former goalkeeper Maciej Pacanowski, aided by a missed chance or two, kept the scores blank until the 19th minute when Federico Bertoni converted Havant’s first short corner.
The lead lasted nine minutes until teenager Alex Pendle was fouled as he carried the ball across the top of the D and equalised from the resulting penalty stroke.
Chichester had further opportunities to score before half-time – one shot hitting the Havant woodwork and another being well saved by the goalkeeper.
The second half saw Chichester begin to play some more flowing hockey with the game starting to get stretched.
The defence began to distibute with more confidence, allowing Chichester to apply more pressure.
Eventually an excellent cross from Alex Pendle produced a glorious one touch finish from Andrew Sparshott to give Chi a 2-1 lead.
Chichester defended well for periods of Havant pressure which created some dangerous breaks, leading to a Chichester short corner.
After a well worked routine, Dan Brook hammered home from around one yard for Chichester's third tie clinching strike.

Trojans went on an unanswered 13-goal rampage against Slough to loosen Guildford’s lead at the top of South League Premier Division 2.
The Surrey club still lead the table by one point after a close call 2-1 win at Tulse Hill & Dulwich, but Trojans goal fest has completely wiped out their once formidable ‘goal difference’ advantage.
Trojans unleashed a relentless assault on Slough, who turned up only ten minutes before push-back (there was an RTA on the south-bound M3), with a bare 11 players, who didn’t even have a uniform strip. In truth, they were a shambles.
Trojans were 5-0 up at the break and almost scored at will with Dan Ferrier (pictured) getting four of the goals, and Richard Aves,  James Butt and Dave McNee two each. Ben Cole, Colin French and Sinoxolo Mbekeni got one each.
The last round of pre-Christmas fixtures this Saturday sees Trojans go to Staines and Guildford host third-placed Wycombe, whose only defeat so far has come at Stoneham Lane.

It was action all the way as Winchester and Trojans featured in South League Premier Division matches that produced 24 goals.
Winchester came out on the losing side of an 11-goal thriller, London Edwardians beating them 6-5, with former Southampton hit-man Ollie Knight scoring twice. Kieran Molloy and Micah Smithard got two each for Winchester.
Trojans routed Premier 2 basement club Slough 13-0, wiping out Guildford's goal difference advantage in one foul swipe.  Dan Ferrier notched four of Trojans goals. Full reports on both games to follow.