Mulvaney’s brace helps visitors secure points

WARGRAVE moved up to third place in the Premier Division after defeating visitors SLOUGH HEATING LAURENCIANS 2-0 last Saturday.

Following a goalless first half, goals from Toby Briggs and Sam Wild ensured all three points for the home side.

Elsewhere in the division, HENLEY TOWN ran out 3-2 winners at FINCHAMPSTEAD.

A good playing surface suited Henley and they soon went ahead in the 16th minute when a free kick from the left was met by centre back Hamish Thomson to side-foot home and score for the second consecutive game.

The rest of the first half was an even affair with both sides creating half chances and efforts from a distance.

Finchampstead brought on three substitutes at half-time and they soon had an impact. A long ball into the Town penalty area resulted in keeper Dan York being crowded out and the loose ball fell to Ibrahim Zaheed to smash home from 10 yards after 57 minutes to level the scores.

Henley soon regained control of the game and after some good pressure went ahead after 65 minutes with a 25-yard shot into the roof of the net from captain and man of the match Luke Mulvaney. A third goal for the visitors soon followed in the 80th minute when a shot by Marvin Hinds was partially saved by the keeper who could only palm it into the path of Mulvaney who tapped the ball home on the line.

Substitute Lewis Brindle almost added a fourth when he broke free on the halfway line and despite shooting past the keeper his effort didn’t have enough pace to cross the line. With the visitors almost home and dry Finchampstead pulled a goal back in the 90th minute when Nick Payne’s near post header went in off the crossbar to make the score 3-2.

Town still had chances to increase their lead during added-on time when Hinds was brought down in the box and Mulvaney had the opportunity to complete his hat-trick but his shot down the middle was saved. Division 1 league leaders GORING UNITED lost their unbeaten record as they went down to a 3-0 defeat at home to WESTWOOD WANDERERS RESERVES. All three goals were scored in the second half.

HENLEY TOWN DEVELOPMENT went down to a 3-1 Division 2 defeat at OLD SALESIANS.

Following a goalless first half, the home side took the lead early in the second half before William Jaycock equalised for the visitors.

The home side retook the lead through an own goal on 70 minutes before wrapping up the scoring with their third of the match eight minutes from full time.

HAMBLEDEN are still searching for their first Division 3 win of the season after they crashed to a 4-0 defeat away at league leaders MARLOW UNITED.