The boys vs Bournemouth: at least we know what our New Year’s resolutions is.

It was the end of term and the biggest of Soton’s boys were hoping to end 2023 on a high with a stunning victory in the Hampshire league against Bournemouth. Unfortunately it didn’t quite go to plan. First quarter starts and straight out of the gate our very own Alex Wilmshurst scores to a roar from the onlooking spectators. Hopes were high. Then no. 6 from Bournemouth got excluded and we were a man up but failed to capitalise on it. Dan Ammon thought it would be a good idea to give them a penalty. Luke Bennalick did his best but was unable to prevent no. 6 from getting his revenge and equalising the score. No matter, Alex gave him another chance at the end of the quarter and this time showed why we are all scared for when he leaves SUWPC.

Second quarter and we’re feeling decent, alas this is when it all starts to go downhill. Bournemouth scores again, but we are given an opportunity when another of their players is excluded, but again we fail to capitalise (I sense some man up drills in the new year). Another goal for Bournemouth takes it to 1-3 and then in the last thirty seconds Alex gets himself an exclusion which leads to another goal from no.6, clearly still not over the exclusion in quarter one. Alex figured maybe it’d be a good idea to stop fouling.

Ok, so a bit of a demoralising quarter, but a good team talk from Charlotte Ratledge (who had definitely not woken up only an hour before) and we were ready to equalise and win, it was certainly not over. And then started quarter three. Bournemouth’s no. 4 had a whale of a time, immediately scoring. Ed Wilkes excluded himself leading to another goal from the Bournemouth no. 4 but somewhat redeemed himself by scoring a goal a little later. Sadly two more goals had been scored by Bournemouth in that time, and it was clear that this was not our best played game. No.4 scored two more goals that quarter, and with a little help from his teammates (and Sam Ellis) the score came to a brutal 2-13.

Hopes were fairly shattered by this point, but we rallied together to play a good game of water polo in the final quarter of the final game of the year. Two exclusions for SUWPC in the space of eight seconds led to Bournemouth eventually scoring a goal. After a few more goals, Jack James decided enough was enough and slammed the ball into the goal, we only needed 14 goals in just over four minutes to equalise. Jack tried his best scoring another goal, but his efforts were not enough and the final score was 4-18.

Man of the Match: Jack James for continuing to the bitter end

Dick of the Day: The end of term exhaustion so we can blame the poor form on that

Goals / Majors

Luke Bennalick – 0/0

Ed Wilkes – 1/1

Noah Boelmann – 0/1

Ethan Underwood – 0/0

Daniel Ammon – 0/1

Jack James – 2/1

Alex Wilmshurst – 1/2

Sam Ellis – 0/2

George Lea – 0/0