Ventnor 1st XV showed resilience and character to secure a 20-20 draw away at Winchester 3rd XV on Saturday.
Ventnor travelled to Winchester on 14th February 2026 looking to halt a run of 3 successive away defeats. Injuries disrupted preparations, not least to skipper Lewy Morton, who was sidelined with a hamstring niggle, meaning Jewy Jones stepped up to captain the side.
The Islanders started brightly and their set-piece once again proved a major strength. Jack Rushton, Jones and Dan Lythgoe put in a huge shift up front, while Joe Coghlan was outstanding in the line-out.
It was from one such catch-and-drive that Ventnor struck first. After securing possession, Harvey Wheeler embarked on a mazy run before offloading to Will Broomfield, who quickly moved the ball on to Alec Bulpitt to finish in the right corner and give Ventnor a 0-5 lead.
Ventnor looked dangerous whenever they moved the ball wide, but the loss of Tom Scadden to a knee injury disrupted their midfield rhythm. Winchester, meanwhile, relied heavily on the long kicking of their fly-half to pin Ventnor back.
From a close-range line-out, the hosts executed a driving maul to score a converted try and edge ahead 7-5. It was a tactic they would return to repeatedly. Ventnor worked tirelessly to repel further mauls, with Cody Hayman, Jason Coltham and Jack Gilbey prominent in defence.
The visitors regained the lead before the break. Following a midfield battle, a loose Winchester ruck allowed the alert Coghlan to pounce, racing in for a try which Josh Ford converted to make it 7-12.
Half-time: Winchester 7-12 Ventnor
If the first half belonged to Ventnor, the second saw Winchester respond strongly. Another line-out maul try restored the home side’s lead at 15-12, before a penalty following a high tackle stretched the advantage further to 18-12.
Ventnor, however, refused to go away. A clean line-out take from Coghlan and slick handling from Harvey Wheeler created space for Ford to dive over, nudging the Islanders back in front at 18-17 after the conversion.
Injuries to Luke Butler and Hayman began to take their toll, and Winchester capitalised with yet another driving maul to create an overlap and score, despite stern resistance from Max Wheeler, Hayden Lythgoe and Ben Souter. The hosts moved 20-17 ahead.
Matters worsened when Jones was shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul, leaving Ventnor down to 14 men in the closing stages.
But the Islanders demonstrated impressive resolve. With Charlie Magnurson leading the charge, they built through multiple phases before earning a crucial penalty. With several players limping and their captain off the field, Ford stepped up and calmly slotted the kick to level the scores at 20-20.
Full-time: Winchester 20-20 Ventnor
It was a display of obdurate character that earned Ventnor 2 valuable league points.
Ventnor: Rushton, Jones (capt), D Lythgoe, Broomfield, Coltham, Hayman, Coghlan, H Wheeler, Ford, Butler, H Lythgoe, M Wheeler, Scadden, Bulpitt, Souter.
Subs: Gilbey, C Magnurson, L Morton Coaches: Damien Marriott, Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches and Andy Teague Physio: Zoe Jones
A.J. Wells Man of the Match: Harvey Wheeler.
Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Jewy Jones.
Howden Insurance Supporter of the Day: Andy Wall.
The draw sees Ventnor extend their lead over Tottonians to 6 points, although Totts have a game in hand.
Next Saturday, the 1sts have a week off, while Ventnor 2nds are back on the road with a trip to Fareham Heathens.
