HENLEY TOWN moved up to third place in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 1 East table following their 4-2 win at Rayners Lane last Saturday.
The visitors, playing without free scoring Richard Bennett in a youthful line-up, started the match at a high tempo and took the lead after just four minutes. David Stevens, newly signed from Wantage Town, swung in a free kick on the edge of the box which went past the whole area full of players and fell to the Henley captain Gary Smith who made no mistake from close range.
Although Henley dominated the early stages it was Rayners Lane who netted next when a misunderstanding by 16-year-old Henley keeper Dimitrios Kyratzis allowed Cassell to capitalise on his failed clearance.
Henley, still dominating the match, then saw Jack Mew switch play from midfield to winger Ryan Tye whose first touch pass was to thread a ball in between the Rayners Lane defence and put Grant Kemp in on a one-on-one with the keeper where he squeezed the ball under him to restore the visitors’ lead.
Three minutes before half-time Henley were awarded a corner and another fine delivery from David Stevens placed the ball directly under the crossbar which panicked the home keeper Morris who pushed it into his own net.
The Red Kites extended their lead early in the second half when a similar goalkeeping mistake from Morris saw a cross from Jack Thomson-Wheeler mishandled and drop into his net to make it 4-1.
Rayners Lane pulled a goal back on 55 minutes when Henley keeper Kyratzis’ punch cleared his area but the ball dropped to a home midfielder who lifted it back into the area and Cassell headed in his second of the game.
Rayners Lane applied a lot of pressure for the remainder of the game but some fine defending from the Henley defence and tough tackling from Henley midfielders Asa Povey and Jack Mew was enough to see the Red Kites take all three points.
Henley Town: Kyratzis, Thomson-Wheeler, Goddard, Mew, Smith, Nunn (Thomas, 61 mins), Stevens (Howell, 83 mins), Tye, Povey, Clark, Kemp (Godwin, 70 mins).
