It was close and so nearly the win that Winchester needed, but in the end, victory was denied them. League leaders Bournemouth stunned a Winchester side that had come back from 22 – 5 down to lead 29 – 31 in the final minutes, writes Derek Cheshire.
A converted try by full-back Joshua Wickens took Bournemouth into an early lead as they dominated the early exchanges.
After early setbacks, Winchester began to find their rhythm, and Dom Cooney’s first try got Winch back into the game. But two lapses in concentration enabled Bournemouth to post two scores in quick succession. An interception and a break down the wing took the home side into a commanding lead.
Winch struck back with Cooney again over in the corner, and Tommy Hare, the recipient of a clever kick by Fieldsend, touched down a third try to reduce the deficit at the interval. Three tries each at half-time, with Winch looking increasingly composed.
At the restart, Winch won and converted a penalty, followed by a glorious try started and completed by the player of the match, fly-half Albie Mildenhall. The teenager had been at the heart of everything that Winch had done to get back into the game. Mildenhall’s timing, control of space and changes of direction tested the strengths of his more experienced opponents. That score brought up the bonus point and took Winch into the lead for the first time in the match.
Bournemouth’s flanker, James Kennedy, kept Bournemouth in the game with another try as Winchester’s defence was breached. Both sides now had at least a bonus point, and the game became a battle of attrition. Winch stayed strong, and Fieldsend kicked the penalties to take them into a last-minute lead of 29 – 31.
With only minutes left on the clock, Bournemouth worked its way into Winch territory. A determined Bournemouth battering ram finally breached the defence, and wing Ryan Morrell finished well to break the hearts of the travelling supporters. The score resulted in celebrations both on and off the pitch as players and supporters realised that Bournemouth were seconds away from automatic promotion to the next tier. They held onto the ball; there was nothing that Winch could do. They watched as the ball was kicked out of play.
Winchester now has to settle for second place in the league with a complex play-off scenario to negotiate if they are to gain promotion.