Sports Report 3 February 2026

3 February 2026

A busy week of fixtures saw Shiplake teams impress across pitches and courts alike. Our football teams delivered strong performances at every level, while the netball squads continued to shine with confident wins and spirited displays. Here’s your roundup of another excellent week in Shiplake sport.

FOOTBALL

Boys’ 1st XI vs The Oratory School (County Cup Round 2)

Shiplake continued their winning streak coming out 3-0 winners against The Oratory School in the second round of the County Cup. Early on it was a very cagey affair, however Shiplake were soon able to make the breakthrough when Alex Hooker fired a left footed shot into the roof of the net. The game soon settled and both teams created some opportunities to score, however it was Shiplake who pulled ahead when Freddie McCalley converted a one-on-one to put Shiplake 2-0 up. There was then time before the game finished for Shiplake to score a third when Angus Mullens leaped highest to head home from a Daniel Johnson-Greenwood corner.
Shiplake College 3 - 0 The Oratory School

Boys’ 3rd XI vs Halliford School

The 3XI travelled to a bogy Halliford pitch, without any warmup we kicked off. Chris Kirkwood started the scoring with two great goals. With H Moon and Jacob Andrews dominating the midfield, our corner tactics were shown in full force, as the third goal came from a “amazing” corner by Seb Crehan Mills Finished off by Oscar Spearing. Then Moon put a ball on a plate for Kirkwood who discombobulated and dazzled the defence before slotting a goal like Ronnie O’Sullivan potting a snooker ball. Then an amazing save out of the book of Manuel Neuer by George Blumfield. Unfortunately, a hasty tackle by Beaney gave a penalty away. However, our game did not end there, after a lofted corner found its way onto Oli Bailey head to put it into the bottom corner, in incredible fashion. And then Kirkwood again. MOTM goes to Henry French who showed that he is a true 3rd team CB with a no-nonsense performance on his debut.
Shiplake College 7 - 2 Halliford School

Boys’ 4th XI vs Reddam House School

This was a tough game in the wintry sunshine, superb wing player saw the unstoppable Bertie Lee set up Ethan Chalfont for a header, then on the other side Ed Tavinor cross found Will Hunt for him to run on and coolly slot in. Then at the end, Laurie Tate made a crucial save to secure three precious points. Four wins of four for the fourths!
Shiplake College 2 - 0 Reddam House School

Boys’ 1st XI vs St Benedict's School

Shiplake put in another good performance against a resilient St Benedict's side. The game got off to a slow start but soon Shiplake took control and scored a brilliantly worked goal that started from a goal kick and ended up with a Rory O'Boyle tap in. Shiplake then doubled their lead with a left footed strike from Daniel Johnson-Greenwood going in under the keeper. Shiplake's momentum carried on and resulted in Johnson-Greenwood winning a penalty, which was converted by Angus Mullens. The second half restarted and the game resumed in a similar manner, creating several chances to score. Alex Hooker hit the crossbar, and Johnson-Greenwood came close to a second on a few occasions. A good performance going into an important game against Halliford on Wednesday.
Shiplake College 3 - 0 St Benedict's School

Boys’ 2nd XI vs St Benedict's School

After our league fixture on Wednesday was cancelled due to rain, Shiplake 2nd XI welcomed a St Benedict's team to Phillimore Fields. The boys started well and scored early on, after a well delivered ball in, took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net from their own player. St Benedict's then began to play good football, and were awarded a penalty which was converted, going into half time, 1-1. The message at half time was clear. We needed to work harder than them and utilise our technical players more, which is exactly what happened throughout the second half. Perseverance throughout the half paid off, as J Hinton scored his first goal for the 2nds late on to win the game 2-1. A well-deserved win and the boys remain unbeaten, going into our next league fixture on Wednesday again Halliford.
Shiplake College 2 - 1 St Benedict's School

Boys’ 3rd XI vs St Benedict's School

A solid mix of 3rd and 4th team players gave it their all on a tricky pitch. An incredibly close first half ended with a last-minute goal from Oscar Spearing assisted by Chris Kirkwood. Shiplake looked much better in the second half keeping a lot of possession. Seb Crehan-Mills managed to get the second after a nice ball over the top from Kit Marsh. Despite, Seb missing a few chances previously he managed to power it into the bottom corner. MOTM goes to late call up Thomas Lane from the 4ths who was incredibly solid at the back not allowing Benedicts through once.
Shiplake College 2 - 0 St Benedict's School

Boys’ U15A vs St Benedict's School

The 15As made it back-to-back wins this morning with a hard-fought comeback win. We started well with composed and controlled football forcing several corners in the early exchanges. But the opening goal never came, and St Benedict's grew into the game. From a free kick wide on the left the floated cross evaded everyone and drifted into the far corner. 1-0 at half time. Clearly ‘the talk worked, as 2 minutes into the second half Huckle’s pace and power beat the offside leading to a cool finish into the corner. 1-1. With St Benedict's tiring and fresh legs from the bench, chance after chance followed. Until a strong hit from Sargent was fumbled by the goalkeeper into his own net. To be fair - his only blemish of the game - following a string of fine saves none other than the ‘worldly’ from a Sargent volley 10 yards out. We hit the bar. Two cleared off the line. A last-ditch block from the sweeping move down the right. But St Benedict's had two pacy strikers who always posed a threat on the break. Keown, Currie, Prosser and Player of the Match (fresh from 3 days in Med Wing) Hotston did well to marshal defensive duties. Debutant Ed Morgan in goal did all that was asked. A fine performance. We saw the game out to win, but in truth this game had plenty more goals if we’d taken the chances and openings when presented. Well, done lads and thanks again to those who supported the whole College ethos by helping the Bs with their game ensuring 11 players on the pitch for both teams.
Shiplake College 2 - 1 St Benedict's School

Boys’ U15B vs St Benedict's School

After a setback in their previous outing, the U15B's delivered the perfect response, producing a vibrant attacking display to secure an 8–4 victory over St Benedict’s. The result marks their third win in four matches and extends their remarkable scoring record to 23 goals in just four games. Shiplake were dominant from the first whistle, racing into a commanding lead with five goals inside the opening 25 minutes. Two superb corners from Eddie Hills caused chaos in the box, with T Siveter and Sai Vedhara applying the decisive touches. Eddie then added his own name to the scoresheet. To their credit, St Benedict’s, grew into the match and reduced the deficit to 5-3 by half-time. However, after the interval Shiplake responded with maturity, regaining control and winning the second half 3–1. H Lawrence restored the cushion with a long-range free kick that evaded a crowded penalty area and nestled into the net from 40 yards. Seb Harrison showed calmness from the spot, and Eddie struck again late on, making amends for an earlier missed penalty, to round off an outstanding personal performance of two goals and two assists. He was a clear and deserving choice for Player of the Match. With only ten players available and no recognised goalkeeper, the team performance was made even more impressive. Special thanks go to Seb Harrison and Matthew Lane who selflessly, each took a half in goal - exemplifying the spirit and togetherness of the squad. Appreciation is also extended to the U15A players who stepped in for brief cameos, enabling the side to field a complete team.
Shiplake College 8 - 4 St Benedict's School

Boys’ U14A vs St Benedict's School

A hugely entertaining game of football for the U14As on Saturday morning, unfortunately ending in defeat with St Benedict's scoring in the final minutes to secure an away win. An exciting game throughout with momentum swaying back and forth. The boys recovered twice from being a goal behind to draw level at 2-2 with goals from Connor Deering and L Hathway. With time running out and pushing for a winner, we left gaps at the back which resulted in a counterattack and deflected goal from St Benedict's. The boys showed great resilience and spirit in the 2nd half to fight back but unfortunately couldn't hold on. On reflection, a draw was certainly a fair result but that's sport and the boys must recover quickly.
Shiplake College 2 - 3 St Benedict's School U14A

Boys U14B vs St Benedict's School

On a bright blue morning, the Shiplake U14B side faced a strong St Benedict’s team. With several boys unavailable, the match provided valuable game time for members of the wider squad, who adapted well during the opening 20 minutes and competed confidently. With five minutes remaining in the first half, St Benedict’s opened the scoring from a free kick. Jackson produced an excellent initial save, but their striker reacted quickest to bundle the rebound into the net, giving the visitors a 1–0 lead at half-time. Shiplake came out with real intent in the second half, pushing hard for an equaliser. Leach was a constant presence up front and created several promising opportunities, but some outstanding last-ditch defending from St Benedict’s kept Shiplake at bay. Sustained pressure continued throughout the half, but with five minutes remaining, St Benedict’s struck twice in quick succession, capitalising on long balls to seal the game. The match finished 3–0 to St Benedict’s. Despite the result, there were excellent individual performances, particularly from captain Goss and Brown, whose efforts epitomised the team’s commitment. Unfortunately, it was not enough to prevent the boys’ first defeat of the season. Thank you, as always, to all the parents who came out to support the team.
Shiplake College U14B 0 - 3 St Benedict's School

NETBALL

1st VII vs Queen Anne's School

Another amazing league match this week, plying Queen Anne’s School. Amazing score with a 33-24 win. Well played to all girls especially players of the match - Abigal O'Shea and Natasha Pendlebury, players player – Molly Craig and coaches’ player – Molly Craig.
Match report: M Mundy, Captain of Netball
Shiplake College 33 - 24 Queen Anne's School

2nd VII vs The Oratory School

On Wednesday afternoon, Shiplake seconds took on the Oratory's first team. Nerves were high but they had positive hopes going into the game. After the first quarter the Oratory had a good head start, but the girls were ready to fight to close the gap for goals. Shiplake fought hard for every interception and goal. By the final quarter the girls fought for their team and managed to score 4 out of 8 goals. After the last whistle was blown the girls left the court with their heads held high despite the loss, as they knew they all played amazingly.
Player of the match: Lillia Dix
Players player: Freya Dix
Coaches player: Poppy Clarke
Match report: Bella Broad
Shiplake College 26 - 8 The Oratory School

3rd VII vs LVS Ascot

The Shiplake 3rd VII put in a confident and composed performance against LVS Ascot on Wednesday. Shiplake started strongly, taking an early 2–0 lead in the first quarter before extending the score to 8–2 by half time. Consistent passing, strong defending, and accurate shooting allowed Shiplake to maintain control throughout the match, with the score reaching 11–2 after the third quarter. The team finished the game on a high, closing out a convincing 15–3 win. A fantastic all-round team effort and a great result for Shiplake. Well done everyone!
Player of the match: Izzy Lloyd
Players player: Izzy Lloyd
Coach’s player: Izzy Woolfrey
Match report: Izzy Lloyd
Shiplake College 15 - 3 LVS Ascot

4th VII vs The Oratory School

On Wednesday the 28th of January, the fourth netball team travelled to The Oratory School, the game started of strong with a goal from Rosie Davis within the first 5 minutes we started to connect as a team and understand how everyone played. We all improved ending the first quarter on 6-1, with a strong line of defence Oratory were not able to get past with Charlotte Richardson defending the post, in the second quarter we were able to score another 6-1 with amazing passing down the side by Amelie Tushingham, Emily Fisher and Sophie Reed, moving it all to Maisie Redston who shot some lovely goals. By halftime the total score was 12-2. For the third quarter, there was some superior saves from A Gillington and lots of passes from Phoebe Burt, for the last quarter the team worked smoothly together, with some enjoyable monologues from the other team, it was a very well deserved win, with the finishing result of 18-6, Rosie Davis got a well-deserved Player of the match with Maisie Redston as Players player and Emily Fisher as coaches player, thank you to Ms Medlicott for taking and coaching us.
Match report: Hen Rowton-Lee
Shiplake College 18 - 6 The Oratory School

U14A’s vs Holme Grange School

POM - Daisy Carlson and Martha Madden. Strong performance from Mylee.
Shiplake College 20 - 14 Holme Grange School

U14A’s vs St Georges Windsor

Players of the match; Izzy Parker
Shiplake College 10 – 0 St Georges Windsor

U14B’s vs St Georges Windsor

Player of the match; Isla Williams.
Shiplake College 7 – 0 St Georges Windsor

Our Lower School teams played Reading Blue Coat on Saturday. Four, hard fought contests, where the score lines were not reflective of the strength of play from the Shiplake girls.