Everyone's A Winnner

Not sure about this new al fresco edition of University Challenge

Sunday was another pivotal day in the Southern Region League. Whilst Wandering Tractor was battling with the trains to get over to Farnham, who needed a point to take the Division One South title, I was en-route to the Charters Community Stadium where Winchester City Flyers were taking on newly-crowned League Cup winners, AFC Portchester.
The situation in the Premier League was that Wycombe remained top but had completed their league fixtures. Fixe points below, in second, sat Winchester, with two games remaining. In fifth were Portchester, fourteen points adrift but with five games remaining. All this meant that both Winchester and Portchester could overtake The Chairgirls by a single point, but only if they won all of their remaining games. A draw in this match would see Wycombe crowned champions.
The stage was set for a potentially nerve-jangling afternoon, and that was exactly what we were treated to.

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Laurie Potvin heads clear

​Portchester were immediately on the front foot. As early as the sixth minute a glorious Becki Bath strike looked to be dipping in until Ellie Parker stretched to tip the ball over the bar. Three minutes later Layla Morgan tried her luck, but saw her strike go wide of the mark.
So, with the visitors dictating the tempo, it was slightly against the run of paly when, in the 10th minute, Winchester took the lead. Charlie Snelling was the architect with a pinpoint through ball that found the run of Chelsie Hay. On touch to control and a second to send the ball past Shannon Betteridge and Flyers were indeed of to a flyer. 1-0.
Portchester came straight back at Flyers and were very unfortunate not to be level just two minutes later when Layal Morgan's dipping volley beat Parker but came back off the inside of the past and somehow stayed out. Two minutes after that, Flyers were almost the architect of their own downfall when, playing out from the back, Bath charged down Parker's clearance. Luckily for the home side they managed to clear the danger.
Portchester continued to press for an equaliser, but still had to be aware of potential danger from the break, as demonstrated in the 23rd minute, when only some last ditch defending prevented Hay from getting on the end of another good through ball.
The battle in midfield was also getting more physical and Winchester's enthusiasm to prevent Gemma Hillier from dictating the game was taken a little too far by Shayne Prasad, who went in late on the Portchy captain, earning a yellow card in the process. A minute later, a speculative ball into the City area saw Laurie Potvin, up form the back, get a glancing header in, only to be thwarted by good reactions from Parker.
Back at the other end, Sian Wylie drove forward to let a stinger fly from 25 yards that only just went over, grazing the roof of the net as it did. That was just past the 30 minute mark and, for a few minutes after that, the game calmed a little. It felt as if Winchester had weathered the Portchester storm, or maybe the visitors were taking a slight breather before stepping it up again?
Just before the break, Kim Fuller sent a volley, from out on the left, flying across the face of Parker's goal, only for it to bounce wide of the far post.
Time for the teams, and spectators, to take a rest

HT Winchester City Flyers 1 AFC Portchester 0. A first-half in which Portchester had dominated possession, but found themselves behind to a well-crafted Winchester goal. The tussle was fascinating from a neutral's perspective. After going ahead, Winchester had found themselves pressed back but Portchester could not commit too many forward because of the constant threat and pace of Hay, Prasad, McDonough and Wernham.

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Sarah Butterworth (hidden) stabs home the second

​As in the first half, Portchester began strongly, generating a very early chance for Layla Morgan, who could only fire straight at Parker. The comparison with the first half didn't end there, however. Five minutes in another Snelling pass dissected the Portchy defence for Hay to run onto. This time, Shannon Betteridge had read the danger, coming out quickly to just about beat the striker to the ball.
That scare prompted Portchester action and, a further two minutes later, they leveled the scores. Kim Fuller delivered a freekick from the right flank, sending the ball into the perfect area across the 6-yard box, behind the line of defence but just too far for Parker to come to claim. Becki Bath took full advantage, running in to plant a firm header past Parker form close range. 1-1.
As things stood, Wycombe were just over 30 minutes away from taking the title, something not lost on the group of Wycombe players who had made the trip to Hampshire to watch the game.
Just before the hour, Portchester produced a move of some beauty, exchanging first-time passes to open up the home defence and put Gemma Hillier clean through. Parker was quick, and brave, throwing herself at the feet of the captain to make the save, Layla Morgan then struck the loose ball just wide. Both Parker and Hillier needed 
Portchester continued to look the more likely to get a winner. Becki Bath sent a shot skidding over Parker's crossbar but, as we entered the last 20 minutes, Winchester again showed how Portchester could not afford to relax. A lightning quick break from the home team, sent Chelsie Hay free on the left, driving towards goal only for Betteridge to produce a great save. Snelling then headed the resulting corner over. Shortly afterwards, Shayne Prasad was sent clear on the left. shooting across Betteridge only to see her effort go agonisingly wide of the far post. The game felt as if it was opening up, as both sides went hell for leather for a winner.
Sophie Bell was the next to come close, smashing a 25-yard piledriver off Parker's crossbar. In the next minute Bath put Charmaine True in on goal, with a defender breathing down her neck. When the striker went down under pressure there were huge penalty shouts from Portchester, but the referee was unmoved. As they say, I've seen them given. 
Winchester, ignoring the protests, went straight up the other end and engineered a shooting opportunity for Annie Northwood, who could only put her effort straight at Betteridge. Portchester retaliated with Bath and True linking up, the former sending a shot whistling over the bar. Then, with five minutes of normal time remaining, Portchester won a corner on their left. The delivery caused chaos inside the home 6-yard box, with two efforts being blocked on the line before, in a sea of legs, Sarah Butterworth managed to poke the ball over the line. 1-2 and cue wild celebrations from the Arancione.
Winchester, however, are not in second place by accident. They showed a huge amount of resolve to pick themselves up and go back on the hunt. They were rewarded in the very last minute of normal time Emma Whitlock lifted a ball into the midst of the Portchester box. There appeared to be a moment's hesitation from the visitor's defence but not from Annie Northwood, who nipped in to turn it home past Betteridge. 2-2
What a game of football and the drama was still not completely over. Six minutes into added time, Becki Bath sent a stinger straight at Ellie Parker and, a minute later, the Winchester goalkeeper got an all-important fingertip to Charmaine True's effort to divert it for a corner. Even then, the drama was not quite done. As Portchy pushed everyone up for the corner, which was almost certainly the last kick, Winchester cleared it to the feet of Chelsie Hay on the halfway line. With no defenders back, she would have had a clear run on goal, but the referee blew the final whistle, much to Winchester disapproval, and the delight of the Wycombe crew on the side of the pitch.

FT Winchester City Flyers 2 AFC Portchester 2. Despite this being one of the best games of football I've ever witnessed, it was a tricky one to write up. Words cannot do justice to the sheer theatre that was produced. Even though I have no allegiances to either team on the pitch, or Wycombe, I found myself getting increasingly edgy as the end of the match approached. So much so, that my watch was telling me to relax.
Overall, on the day, I think even Winchester would agree that Portchester had more possession, although possession does not count for everything. Winchester seemed happy for Portchy to have the ball, knowing that their midfield and defence were on form and also that they had the threat of the break. Portchester kept doing what they do, safe in the knowledge that they would eventually make a chance pay, which they did. When Portchester went ahead with 5 minutes remaining, many teams would have folded but Winchester came out fighting to secure the equaliser.
Many congratulations to Wycombe Wanderers on security the league title, and best wishes for next season in the National League. A few months ago, it looked as if they might run away with the league, but great credit must go to Winchester, Portchester and the chasing pack (remember that Southampton and Reading also took points off The Chairgirls), who kept the title race alive.

Winchester City Flyers: 1.Parker, 2.Capel-Watson, 3.Vokes, 4.Snelling, 5.Moulding, 8.Hay, 10.Wernham, 12.McDonough, 14.Prasad, 15.Whitlock(c), 20.Wylie. Subs: 6.Warhurst, 7.Wilkinson, 9.Northwood, 16.Conti, 19.Powell-Rowland
AFC Portchester: 13.Betteridge, 2.Bell, 4>Smith, 5.Potvin, 7.Butterworth, 10.Hillier(c), 11.Fuller, 16.Morgan, 22.Barron-Clark, 24.Nightingale, 28.Bath. Subs: Burchett, Riley, Bradbury, True, Aitken


Ground Number: Re-Visit
Att:
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: N/A

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Portchy applying pressure (Wycombe players look on in the background)