Table-toppers extend lead with five-star display

LEAGUE leaders HENLEY 1sts returned from the south coast with all three points as they ran out 5-1 winners at PORTSMOUTH 1sts in last Saturday’s South Central Open Premier Division 2 encounter.

Henley took the lead after six minutes through Tim Herbert, who was found by Robbie Mortimer’s raking through ball, before taking the ball around two defenders and dispatching his shot into the roof of the net.

The visitors doubled their lead after 25 minutes through captain Ed Foster, who converted a powerful penalty corner drag flick past the Portsmouth goalkeeper.

Five minutes before half-time the home side halved the deficit and scored a fortuitous breakaway goal, with the ball ricocheting through the legs of Henley goalkeeper Lee Rowe-Elliot and over the goal line.

On the stroke of half time, Henley restored their two-goal lead with another penalty corner, Foster once again dispatching a drag flick into the top corner of the Portsmouth goal.

The second half continued in similar fashion to the first, with Henley dominating position and territory. The back three of Adam Herbert, Fergus Heggie and Robbie Mortimer remained in charge of setting the tempo of the match, creating numerous opportunities for the away side to increase their lead.

After 50 minutes, following good exchange of passes down the right wing between Foster and Harry Rechner, Rechner found Robbie Farina free in the Portsmouth D, who dispatched a fierce shot into the bottom corner of the goal.

Henley added a fifth goal 10 minutes before full time through Phil Laurie, smashing a shot into the net, following a pinpoint cross from Foster.

HENLEY 2nds were forced to settle for a share of the points in a hard-fought home 2-2 clash with WYCOMBE 1sts in Division 2 North.

Henley made a bright start as Dan Herbert opened the scoring with a chipped finish over the onrushing Wycombe goalkeeper. Wycombe equalised with a swift counter against the run of play to make it even at the break. The second half followed a similar pattern, with both teams trading possession and chances. Henley regained the advantage when George Farthing converted from a short corner, firing home a drag flick to make it 2–1.

Wycombe battled back for a second time, eventually finding an equaliser to secure a point.

HENLEY 4ths remain two points above the Division 1 Thames relegation zone after going down to a 2-1 home defeat against promotion chasing AMERSHAM AND CHALONT 6ths.

The game started evenly with both sides moving the ball well. Henley made better use of the ball early on and after a slick passing move and a frantic effort to keep the ball in play by Noel Williams, the ball came to Ewan Watkins, who calmy slotted home to make it 1-0.

Despite missing midfielder Ali Slay to a calf injury, Henley continued to attack neatly through the remainder of the half, and drew a number of sharp saves from the opposition keeper, but failed to build on the lead. At the other end the defence was regularly stretched, but held firm to go into the break a goal to the good. The second half was a more open affair. Amersham finally broke through midway through the half to level the scores, and then 10 minutes later added a second.

Henley pressed hard and created chances but could not find an equaliser in a match that saw Thomas Chamberlain pull off numerous good saves.

In Division 3 Thames, HENLEY 5ths crashed to a 5-1 defeat against high-flying WYCOMBE 5ths whose mix of skill, experience and pace proved too much for the home side.

Both sides started brightly, with Henley's midfield of Adam Warner, Piers Edgell, Shanx Tandon and Duncan Grey moving the ball rapidly and creating good movement to wingers JP Watts and Sam Austin, and starting to find returning centre forward Bryn Balcombe as he moved to create openings.

However, their movement was strongly countered by a skilful Wycombe side whose ability to find space tested the midfield.

A defensive trio of Jon Williams, Nick Shuttleworth and Dan Bradbury held off several penetrating runs, but despite their efforts and some good saves from goalkeeper Ed Newbold, the early pressure told and Wycombe edged an early lead.

Henley rallied, and applied more pressure, with wingers Austin and Watts making good runs to feed the ball into the circle. Their efforts were finally being rewarded with an obstruction leading to a short corner fed in by Tandon and threaded into the goal by Austin.

Further pressure was rewarded with more corners but Henley had one attempt narrowly adjudged as a no goal and were unable to convert their other chances. A late counter attack by Wycombe resulted in the visitors taking a 2-1 lead into half-time.

Substitutes Simon Taylor and Nicholas Segrue made their presence felt early in the second half, restoring Henley's earlier link up play, but by this stage tired legs began to show.

Wycombe made good use of the space as it opened out, and were able to exploit this with three more goals to run out 5-1 winners.