HAMPSHIRE COMBINATION & DEVELOPMENT FOOTBALL LEAGUE U23 PREMIER DIVISION
Thursday 22 May 2025 | Charters Community Stadium, Winchester | Att: ~80

YOUNG BUCKS SEAL HAMPSHIRE COMBINATION LEAGUE TITLE DESPITE FIRST DEFEAT

WINCHESTER CITY U23s     4
Leo Chance 1min;
James Henderson 19mins;
Reggie Hodan 51mins, 60mins

AFC TOTTON U23s                   2
Sa-Sean Lutumba 2mins;
Dylan Andrews 22mins

HARRY BROOKWELL’S AFC TOTTON U23s were crowned Champions of the Hampshire Combination & Development Football League U23 Premier Division last night, despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign at the hands of Winchester City at the Charters Community Stadium.

The game got off to a frantic start, with both sides scoring in the first two minutes. Winchester took the lead through Leo Chance’s diving header from an early corner, but Totton went straight up the other end and Sa-Sean Lutumba fired them level. Another headed goal from a set-piece by James Henderson put The Citizens back in front on 19 minutes, but it only took Totton three minutes to find their second equaliser, thanks to a Dylan Andrews strike from a direct free-kick. A second-half brace from Winchester’s bullish forward Reggie Hodan put distance between the two sides, and Totton were unable to claw their way back into the game.

The loss was AFC Totton’s first of the season. However, a league sanction against Winchester City for failing to fulfil a previous fixture means The Young Bucks have an unassailable lead at the top of the table, and they were duly presented with the league shield and individual winners’ medals after the match.

AFC TOTTON U23s: 1. Nico TROJANOWSKI; 2. Jack GOOD; 3. Dylan BIRKS; 4. Zachariah EARLEY (Capt.); 5. Harley STRANGE; 6. Will KEITA; 7. Sa-Sean LUTUMBA; 8. Dylan ANDREWS; 9. Hugo RAWLINGS; 10. Sam GORDON; 11. Remus NIXON. Substitutes: 12. Cruz WRAGG; 15. Runo AGBERHIERE. Substitutions: Rolling On/Off. Yellow Cards: STRANGE (Foul); AGBERHIERE (Foul)..

Dressed in their usual red-and-black striped shirts with red shorts and socks, Winchester kicked-off and wasted no time in taking the game to Totton, surging forward down the right wing to force a corner via a deflection off Dylan Birks. Winger Oscar McCulloch delivered his cross towards the near post area and captain Leo CHANCE met it with a diving header, sending the ball in off the inside of the right-hand post to give the home side the lead within the first 60 seconds.

In their strip of sky blue shirts, dark blue shorts and sky blue socks, Totton restarted the game and pulled themselves level by the second minute. A tight turn away from an opponent close to the halfway line enabled Dylan Andrews to thread a through-ball into the inside-left channel for Sa-Sean LUTUMBA to run onto and fire a low, angled shot past goalkeeper James Harwood to tie the scores.

The ding-dong nature of the opening exchanges continued, as Winchester had claims for a penalty turned down when Birks appeared to trip James Henderson inside the area; the referee took a good long look at the situation but allowed play to continue. Then, a back-pass put Harwood under pressure as Remus Nixon closed in to charge down his clearance. The ball rebounded off the big centre-forward and towards Hugo Rawlings, who directed the ball towards the open goal before a defender whisked it away. His clearance fell to Andrews, 25 yards out, but his shot flew over the crossbar.

Another Winchester corner from the right wing found its way back to the taker, and his second delivery was turned away for a left-wing corner by Will Keita. This time, McCulloch’s cross found Lawson Bright who guided his header narrowly wide.

Jack Good made an important interception as Winchester threatened to overload down their left wing. Then, the full-back reacted quickly to intercept another incisive through-ball, before The Citizens’ midfielder Adam Pugh set off on a mazy run through the heart of the Totton defence only to run out of pitch to the left of goal.

The writing was on the wall, though, and the home side retook the lead on 19 minutes. A foul by Keita gave Winchester a free-kick close to the left-wing touchline. McCulloch’s cross made its way towards the far post where James HENDERSON ducked to nod home into the bottom-right corner.

It took Totton three minutes to eliminate the deficit, this time. Nixon played Rawlings in to run at the Winchester defence, drawing a foul that gave Totton a free-kick 25 yards from goal, right of centre. Two Totton players stood over the ball but while Nixon remained an interested observer, it was Dylan ANDREWS who curled a well-struck effort around the wall and into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Winger Lewis Brown received a high diagonal pass to briefly get in behind Good on the Winchester left, but his preference for his right foot denied him a shooting chance and a combination of Andrews and Good was able to crowd him out. Then, Andrews took advantage of a weak header intended for Harwood to steal the ball and charge into the box, under pressure, but his eventual left-footed shot lacked power.

Lutumba’s perseverence prevent Winchester repelling an attack from the Totton left. He forced the ball into the corner of the box for Nixon to bundle his way past two defenders and clip a cross into the middle. Rawlings did well to get across his marker and flick a shot on-target; Harwood parried and Rawlings’ follow-up shot from a tight angle was deflected wide a for a left-wing corner. Andrews swung the ball into the box and Keita met it with a strong header that was deflected over. Andrews crossed the ball in, again; this time, it bounced in the six-yard box and Keita tried to force the ball into the goal with his chest, but Harwood caught it.

A Winchester cross bobbled across the Totton penalty area, crying out for a forward to come and apply the finishing touch. Then, Totton ‘keeper Nico Trojanowski had to come off his line to divert the ball away from the in-rushing Henderson.

Remus Nixon displayed impressive strength to bring the ball under control near the halfway line, then shrug off his marker and advance into the Winchester half before spreading the play wide to Lutumba and going across to receive a return pass. But his cross, looking for Rawlings, was tuned away by the defence before Lutumbs could pull the trigger on a potential follow-up shot.

A mistake in the Totton defence gave Brown a sight of goal. The winger showcased some neat footwork but his shot crept wide of the right-hand post, ensuring the two sides went in level at the break.

HALF-TIME: WINCHESTER CITY U23s 2-2 AFC TOTTON U23s

Totton went close to edging in front immediately after the restart, with Rawlings diving full-length and heading a Dylan Birks cross wide of the left-hand upright. Winchester responded by launching an attack down their right. The ball was flicked on down the wing and then redirected infield to Henderson, whose short pass set-up Brown to strike on-target, forcing Trojanowski to make a smart save diving low to his right.

Six minutes into second half, Winchester put themselves ahead for the third time in the game. A defence-splitting pass sent Reggie HODAN clear of both Totton centre-backs and the forward kept his composure to hit a well-placed shot past Trojanowski.

Hodan was played in again by Brown, after some sloppy play in the Totton defence, but this time his shot from the inside-right channel was dragged across goal and wide of the far post.

Andrews floated in a free-kick from the Totton right, which Winchester defended; Lutumba intercepted the clearance and pulled a save from Harwood with a drive from the edge of the area. Then, Totton defender Harley Strange was booked for a foul midway inside the Totton half.

Winchester increased their lead on the hour mark. Trojanowski did well to save with his feet, as Henderson burst into the Totton box through the middle. The hosts quickly regained possession and put the ball back into the danger zone; Keita covered behind his goalkeeper to make a goal-line block with his chest but the ball dropped to Reggie HODAN who helped himself to his second goal of the game.

An aerial duel just outside the right corner of the Totton box saw the ball fall to Henderson, whose 22-yard snapshot was on-course for the top-right corner of the net before Trojanowski clawed it away with is left glove. Then, Totton sub Runo Agberhiere was booked for a foul in midfield.

Birks let fly with a long-range effort that flew over the crossbar. Then, Hodan twice came close to completing his hat-trick; first with a right-footed volley from McCulloch’s near-post corner delivery that flew wide; then, when the referee waved play on despite a robust Keita challenge to allow the Winchester No.9 to lob Trojanowski with a shot aimed towards the right corner, which also bounced wide.

Nixon tried to take on the whole Winchester defence on his own, setting off on a solo run that saw him good progress towards the edge of the box before his shot was blocked; Birks did well to prevent Brown scampering away on the counter-attack. Nixon tried again, going up against three defenders before firing narrowly wide to the right.

Winchester substitute Alex Vine threatened to increase the home team’s lead late on, but Harley Strange tracked him closely before dispossessing him, shortly before the referee blew the full-time whistle.

By that point, league officials in attendance confirmed that Winchester City were no longer in a position to catch Totton at the top of the table, so the AFC Totton U23 players were awarded the Hampshire Combination & Development Football League U23 Premier Division Shield — and their individual winners’ medals —  before leaving the pitch.

By Ben Rochey-Adams