WINCHESTER WALKING FOOTBALL CLUB
2024 Match Reports
Jeff Williams Trophy Petersfield
Winchester WF ran out winners in the inaugural Jeff Williams Trophy which was held as part of the Dementia Football Fundraiser at the ground of Petersfield FC.
In the first game Winchester ran out 5-1 winners with four goals from Mark Wilkinson and one from Mick Turner.
In the final Winchester met old friends Clanfield and triumphed 3-2 to lift the trophy. Two goals from Ian Dowson. One of these goals was awarded after the Dubious Goals Committee decided that Ian’s original shot would just about have stayed in Hampshire if it hadn’t been deflected into the net by a defender. A late strike from Bill Farren-Price proved decisive.
The trophy was presented to Club Captain David Kirkby by local MP Damien Hinds however the real winner on the day was Dementia Friend Petersfield with valuable funds being raised for this most worthy of causes.
The Winchester squad was David Kirkby, Dave Sewell, Ian Dowson, Mick Turner, Mark Wilkinson and Bill Darren-Price. The team were, as ever, expertly coached by Heather Kirkland
Friendly v Frimley WF 26 April 2024
Winchester Walking Footballers hosted Frimley this week for a friendly fixture. Both clubs fielded two 7 a side teams.
The Winchester ‘Red’ Team went down 3-0 in the first game but came back strongly to win 2-1 in the second courtesy of a debut goal from John Mundy and a strike by Steve Nash to put the home team two up. Frimley pulled a goal back but Winchester held on for victory.
The Winchester ‘Blue’ team conceded an early goal in their first game but strikes from Phil Courtney & Eugene Wills secured a 2-1 victory for the hosts. In their second game Winchester ‘Blue’ were on the back foot for most of the match but well organised defending and inspired goalkeeping from Phil Courtney ensured the game ended goalless.
WFA National Cup Over 50s 1st round, Sunday, 21 April, 2024
Winchester 5, Eastleigh 1
Winchester Walking Football Club celebrated their third anniversary on Sunday, 21 April, with a 5-1 home victory against Eastleigh in the first round of the Walking Football Association (WFA) national knockout cup over 50s tournament.
Eastleigh opened the scoring with their initial attack in the first minute when Neil Graham shot from the right hand side.
Winchester steadily settled into the game and built momentum in a relatively even first period. Mark Pellegrini eventually equalised with a similar goal to make it all square before the 25 minute halftime break.
Winchester seized the initiative immediately after resumption when Barry Poffley tapped a free kick wide to Pellegrini on the left who fired home his second goal.
Phil Courtney and Mark Wilkinson had efforts turned away for corners before an Eastleigh defender strayed into the goal area and Pellegrini dispatched the resultant penalty on 31 minutes.
Dave Veal shot against the post for the visitors and Pellegrini again went close before another clinical finish to grab his fourth goal.
Eastleigh attempted to get back into the game, again hitting the post but also finding Winchester goalkeeper Martin Kukla in defiant mood, making a double save and also blocking shots with his feet.
Poffley increased Winchester’s lead when he intercepted and coolly slotted past the keeper to make the result 5-1.
Winchester squad: Martin Kukla, David Kirkby, Phil
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Winklebury Tournament 17 April 2024
Winchester Walking Footballers maintained their excellent tournament record by coming second in the Hampshire FA Walking Football Tournament at Winklebury on 17 April 2024. The Winchester over 60’s were undefeated and the highlight of the day was a 2 - 0 victory against Portsmouth.
Winchester squad Barry Poffley, Ian Dowson, John. Hall, Kevin Reed, Eugene Wills, Rick Parker & Mick Turner
Winchester 1 - Cove 1
Winchester were on the defensive for much of the opening game against the eventual tournament winners (and always competitive) Cove. However aided by good saves from keeper Barry Poffley the game remained scoreless until a Cove forward pounced on a rebound from a good save to put his team ahead. The new FA rule of conceding penalty for four ‘not walking’ offences came to our recuse with Cove rightly conceding a spot kick. Unlike the recent events in the Premier League there was no arguments over who was taking the kick. Poffley relinquished the keepers gloves to strike rescuing a point.
Winchester 2 Portsmouth IYC 0
A great performance against the favourites to win the tournament. Rick Parker scored a beauty from distance to put us one up. Kevin Reed then doubled our lead capitalising on some confusion in the Pompey defence to score his first competitive goal. There were two excellent save by Barry Poffley to keep a clean sheet and ensure a deserved victory
Winchester 0 Farnham Town Flares 0
Winchester found themselves on the defensive for most of this game. Kevin Reed took over goalkeeping duties and made two fine saves. Eugene Wills defended well under sustained pressure. In the second half Farnham hit the post twice but determined defending kept them at bay. John Hall almost stole it for Winchester but his low shot was narrowly wide.
Winchester 0 Tadley Statin Strollers 0
Winchester dominated this game from start to finish but were unable to beat the Tadley keeper who made several fine saves. Kevin Reed put Barry Poffley through but the keeper pushed the shot around the post. Despite numerous corners Winchester were unable to score with the keeper having an excellent game. Ian Dowson came close with two attempts in the second half but the game stayed goalless.
WFA National Cup Over 65s 1st round, Sunday, 7 April, 2024
Winchester 1, Bournemouth 3
Winchester lost their Walking Football Association Over 65s national knockout first round cuptie at home to Bournemouth 1-3 at the University Stadium on 7 April, with all the goals coming in the second half.
Play was fairly evenly contested in the blustery first half, Bournemouth’s Norman Hoff having two shots well saved by Kevin Reed and a couple of others blocked. Paul Wiseman hit the post for the hosts who also had other chances go wide.
Both teams made changes at half time, and for Winchester Wiseman swapped with Reed to become goalkeeper.
The second half continued competitively with both keepers making saves but Hoff finally made the breakthrough on 27 minutes with a shot from the centre of the goal to Wiseman’s right to give Bournemouth the lead.
Geoff Budden dived to his right to save a speculative shot from Eugene Wills before Winchester again made changes and Budden then tipped a Reed shot away for a corner. It was taken by Steve Byrne to Wills who passed on to Steve Nash for a great equaliser in the 30th minute.
A minute later Hoff restored the visitors’ lead with another goal from the middle as Wiseman was wrong-footed. Five minutes later Hoff completed his hat trick with yet another solid strike from through the middle.
Winchester: Kevin Reed, David Kirkby, Simon Davitt, Steve Nash, Rick Parker, John Hall, Eugene Wills, Paul Wiseman, Steve Byrne.
Bournemouth : Geoff Budden, George Hoy, John Baron, Norman Hoff, Bob Kitley, Dave Smith, John Blake, Andy Phillips.
Stoneham Tournament Wednesday 3 April 2024
Squad: Phil Courtney, Ian Dowson, David Kirkby (Capt), Martin Kukla (GK), Steve Nash, Mark Pellegrini, Barry Poffley, Mark Wilkinson.
We were placed in La Liga – 6 matches of 15 minutes duration each.
vs Bournemouth – Drew 0-0
This was a tight contest. Martin made a good save with his foot. Winchester created a couple of opportunities and probably had the edge overall.
vs Wyvern – Won 2-1
A great Winchester cross-field move found Mark W on the left whose clean volley found the far corner of the net. A second goal soon followed again from Mark W.
A close decision saw a penalty awarded to Wyvern which they converted well – but was it Martin’s momentum after his save that took him out of the area ? Overall the match featured many good passing moves from Winchester.
vs Hawks Originals – Drew 0-0
This was a game that Winchester dominated from start to finish. We created many opportunities but couldn’t score.
Late in the game a long ball up-field from Hawks required good defensive work from David as he blocked a shot from their centre forward.
vs Compton Greens – Drew 1-1
This was our toughest game against a strong Compton team. Compton scored early from a quickly taken free kick whilst the ref was explaining why he had given the foul. Mark P then had a shot that was well saved. In the second half Mark P clinically scored into the bottom left-hand corner. Compton dominated the last couple of minutes but good defensive work prevented any clear opportunities. Overall a draw was a fair result.
vs Southampton Strollers - Won 2-1
Three good saves from their goalie, plus a missed opportunity from Barry, kept the game goalless as half-time approached. Then a good Winchester move led to Mark W passing to Barry on the left edge of the area who tucked it away. Strollers retained the ball pretty well with their defence playing long passes up to their centre-forward who controlled the ball well. However, in the second half Barry intercepted a Strollers pass and was clean through on goal – he tucked the ball away into the bottom right-hand corner.
Late on Strollers won a free kick 12 yards out – they passed the ball out to the left and scored with a well-struck shot.
vs Gosport – Won 1-0
This game was reduced to 8 minutes as the tournament time was running out.
A move straight from the kick-off saw Mark P neatly scoring. Phil then had a shot tipped over by the Gosport keeper, and Mark P had a shot that curled just past the left-hand post. Winchester continued to dominate.
Played 6 – Won 3 – Drew 3 – Lost 0
Overall Compton won the league with 16 points – 5 wins and the draw against us. Winchester finished second (again !!) on 12 points.
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Winklebury Walking Football Tournament
Wednesday 20th March 2024
Squad: Steve Byrne, Simon Davitt (GK), Ian Dowson, David Kirkby (Capt), Martin Kukla (GK), Steve Nash, Barry Poffley, Kevin Reed (GK)
Only 5 teams this month as Gosport were a late withdrawal.
vs Cove WFC – Won 1-0
A couple of chances for Winchester, with Barry having an opportunity cutting in from the right. Cove opportunities kept to a minimum with fine defensive work. With one minute to go Steve N intercepted a defensive cross-field pass and neatly tucked away the winning goal.
vs Farnham Town Flares – Won 1-0
An early goal from Winchester coming from a short corner by Steve B to Barry who cut it back from the byline for Steve N to slot past the keeper. Then from good build-up play both Barry and Ian had one on one opportunities which the Farnham keeper did well to keep out.
Again solid defensive work co-ordinated by David meant Winchester were able to keep a clean sheet.
vs Pompey – Drew 2-2
Early on Ian passed to Martin whose left foot shot was well saved. Pompey then had a period of dominance either side of halftime – their first goal coming from a close range shot which went in off the post, and their second from a break down the right-hand side ending in a fierce strike on goal. Winchester then fought back – good move saw Steve N finding Martin who passed to Barry for a shot on goal – again saved by the keeper. Then halfway through the second-half Barry played in Martin who tucked the ball away with his left foot (2-1). Almost immediately afterwards a Pompey goalkeeping mistake rolled the ball to Martin on the left who struck a solid left-footed shot past the keeper at the near post (2-2).
Kevin then pulled off a good save at a crucial time. With two minutes to go a difference of opinion led to a player from each side being blue carded. Winchester had the final chance with a shot just wide from Steve N. Overall a draw was a fair result.
vs Tadley Statin Strollers – Drew 0-0
This was an incredible game. Winchester totally dominated and had about 15 chances on goal (too many to list !), but the Tadley keeper was in unbelievable form and certainly would have won any man of the match award. Then near the end Tadley broke, crossed to the left for a shot on goal which was well saved by Simon.
Played 4 – Won 2 – Drew 2 – Lost 0
Although a bit disappointing not to beat Tadley and potentially win the tournament, overall it was a great morning – undefeated and with 3 clean sheets.
Final Table
1.) Portsmouth 10 pts
2.) Winchester 8 pts
3.) Tadley 4 pts
4.) Cove 3 pts
5.)Farnham 3 pts
Friendly v Southampton Strollers - Friday 15th March 2024
We played two Seven-a-side games of 13 minutes each way. On a blustery morning, which culminated in a heavy downpour, our players acquitted themselves well and were always in contention against a physically tall and strong Strollers side who moved the ball around effectively and had the majority of possession. Who’s to say the results might not have been slightly different if we hadn’t had to lend the Strollers Ian Dowson and John Mundy, as two of their players had dropped out unexpectedly! We also used 4 different goalkeepers, whilst the Strollers had their regular ‘keeper.
Well done to Bill Farren-Price and Paul Wiseman who were making their Winchester WFC debuts. There were also first competitive appearances of 2024 for Sue Hume and Steve Byrne.
Match 1: Winchester 1 Strollers 2 (scorer Eugene W, assist Steve N)
Match 2: Winchester 2 Strollers 3 (scorers Eugene W, assist Steve N; Steve N, assist Steve B)
Squad: Fiona Willsher, Sue Hume, Kevin Reed, Eugene Wills, Steve Nash, Steve Byrne, Bill Farren-Price, Paul Wiseman.
Stoneham Walking Football Tournament - Wednesday 6 March 2024
Squad: Martin Kukla, Steve Lawson, Ian Dowson, Barry Poffley, Eugene Wills, David Kirkby, Fiona Willsher, John Hall.
Played 5 – Won 1 – Lost 3 – Drew 1
Gosport Walking - Drew 0-0
We had several good chances in the first half, including a cross field move to Barry who was denied a goal only by a good save by their keeper. In the second half Gosport improved requiring some good goalkeeping from Martin to keep Winchester in it. Winchester dominated the second half with several good chances, including a shot just wide from David, but the Gosport keeper kept the score at 0-0 at full time.
Bournemouth Reds – Lost 0-1
Winchester started well with shots just wide from Barry and John. Ian hit a shot against the post and Barry forced a good save from their keeper, but it was still 0-0 at half time. In the second half Winchester increased the pressure, with several free kicks and corners. The Bournemouth keeper made several saves including one shot from Ian that looked like a goal but the referee decided it was not over the goal line. Against the run of play a lucky break by Bournemouth resulted in a goal and it was 0-1 at full time.
Pompey ITC Whites – Lost 0-2
From an early free kick Pompey score with a shot that gave Steve, in goal, no chance. Pompey kept up the pressure, and good defending by us kept it at 0-1 at half time. Winchester improved and had shots off target from Mark and Barry. Fiona replaced Ian and had a good shot in the second half, but although Winchester are playing better and have more possession, it is Pompey that get the next goal from a free kick and an unstoppable shot. The game finished 0-2.
Farnham Town Flares – Lost 1-2
Winchester had early chances to go ahead but their keeper made some good saves. Ian attempted a long range shot but found the trees next to the motorway! Despite a lot of Winchester pressure, it was Farnham, from a rare breakaway, that got the first goal. Then, from a Farnham free kick in our half, Ian anticipated their move, intercepts the pass, and finds Martin unmarked by their area. He avoided their keeper and scored the equaliser, and to make it 1-1 at HT. Farnham applied a lot of pressure in the second half and scored their second goal. Winchester picked up the pace and dominated possession for the rest of the game but are unable to score. It remains at 1-2 at full time.
Hawks Originals – Won 2-1
After sustained pressure by Winchester and several good moves, Ian had a shot just off target and their keeper saves a good shot from Barry. Against the run of play Hawks scored first and it was 0-1 at half time. In the second half Winchester had even more possession and were rewarded when Barry passed to Ian to score. Soon after, Eugene became the provider for Barry to get the winner and it finished 2-1.
The weather was good. Although we did not get enough goals, we conceded only a few with solid defending. We dominated games with good possession for long spells. We created several good opportunities to score but good goalkeeping by the opposition and a lack of clinical finishing by us made the difference on the day.
PS: Air traffic control have located the ball from Ian’s shot.
Position
Team
1.) Pompey ITC Whites
2.) Farnham Town Flares
3.) Bournemouth Reds
4.) Hawks Originals
5.) Winchester
6.) Gosport Walking
Winklebury Tournament Wednesday 21st February 2024
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Squad: Simon Davitt (goalie), Ian Dowson, John Hall (goalie), David Kirkby (capt, goalie), Rick Parker, Barry Poffley (goalie), Kevin Reed (goalie), Eugene Wills.
Six teams participated in rain and windy conditions - the 5 matches were 14 minutes long with a short half-time break. Players were rotated both on the pitch and in goal.
Vs Cove 1-1
A great start from Winchester led to an early goal, Barry converting Kevin's fine through ball down the left-hand side. Cove equalised before half-time with a move also down the left-hand side. Few opportunities for either side in the second half.
Vs Pompey 1-2
Pompey went 2-0 up early on exploiting some gaps. Winchester fought back and in the second half Barry scored from the right-hand side, again after a fine pass from midfield. Good defending kept Pompey's chances to a minimum, and we felt unlucky to end up losing.
Vs Farnham Town 1-1
Another early goal conceded, but this time Winchester replied quickly. A sweeping move from the right to the left involving many players led to Eugene crossing the ball and Simon clinically finishing off the move. An even second-half was played out, but neither team created any clear cut chances.
Vs Tadley Statin Strollers 0-0.
Good passing moves throughout the game led to Winchester creating many opportunities but just couldn't convert them. In the final seconds Tadley hit a long shot which cannoned off the post - David in goal had it covered all the way.
Vs Gosport Yellows 1-0
Winchester had the vast majority of possession, creating chance after chance. Our defence was solid, with just one breakaway opportunity for Gosport which needed a good save to keep out. Then in the final minute Eugene danced/walked around both the keeper and the edge of the box, and slotted the ball into the empty net from an impossible angle.
So a very respectable outcome - Won 1, Drew 3, Lost 1. Well played to all of the squad who each individually contributed significantly. Our defence was solid and the midfield drove us forward particularly in the final two games.
Despite the weather it was very enjoyable.
Stoneham Tournament Wednesday 7 February 2024
Owing to our recent success we were elevated to league A. Our opponents were Bournemouth, Compton, Eastleigh Gold, Portsmouth ITC and Salisbury White.
Squad: Phil Courtney, Ian Dowson, David Kirkby (Capt), Martin Kukla (goalie), Steve Nash, Barry Poffley, Kevin Reed, Eugene Wills.
Winchester v Bournemouth
Very even game with Phil, Barry and Ian going close with shots that are saved or go agonisingly wide. Martin makes great save to keep it scoreless. Result 0-0
Winchester v Salisbury Whites
Salisbury start well hitting the post and eventually take the lead. However, Winchester come back Eugene has a free kick blocked and some clever play from Kevin and Barry ends in Steve grazing the post with a great shot. Phil showing clever footwork hits a shot just wide but it wasn’t to be. Result 0-1
Winchester v Eastleigh Gold
Cagey opening with Dave having to make some timely interceptions. Ian and Barry have the best of the chances but as in previous games they would just not go in. Result 0-0
Winchester v Portsmouth ITC
Barry pounces on a Pompey mistake and smashes the ball high into the Portsmouth net 1-0. At the other end, Martin makes a great save with his feet. Kevin and Barry combine well, the ball is slipped to Ian who dummies the keeper and slots it in 2-0. Winchester are now rampant making chance after chance. Ian hitting the post and Phil forcing a great save from their keeper. This was a great performance against a top side. Result 2-0
Winchester v Compton
Good start from Winchester, Steve swivels and hits a great shot that is saved by their keeper. Compton go 1-0 up against run of play. Martin saves again to keep it at 1-0.
Game is now end to end, next goal is all important. Good late pressure from Winchester but Compton run out winners. Result 0-1.
Good performance in a high class league. Most games could have gone either way, the width of a post or a save being the fine margin.
Won: 1. Drew: 2. Lost: 2