Merritt nets double as hosts prevail

HENLEY 3rds ran out 4-2 winners against visitors MILTON KEYNES 3rds in their South Central Division 4 North clash at Jubilee Park last Saturday.

Henley showed their intent from the off, pressing the visitors’ defence and making it difficult to get the ball out of their half.

The pressure paid dividends after 10 minutes, with Henley winning the ball on the halfway line and pushing forward before releasing Alex Price in the middle of the pitch to charge into the D and play across for Guy Harmer to sweep home.

With 10 minutes of the half remaining, the game flipped on its head with the visitors claiming two scrappy goals in quick succession to take the lead at half-time.

Henley started the second half more dominant than the first with the midfield group of Alex Price, Sam Baker, Jamie Taylor, Guy Harmer and Alex McDonal-Smith stepping up a gear as the whole team looked more organised.

Henley restored parity, and subsequently took the lead, through short corners. A barnstorming dribble into the D by Price five minutes into the half led to the first and, with an opening spotted in the visitors’ defensive set-up, Henley executed the slip well to Gordon Merritt whose strike across goal was tipped in by Sam Baker.

Henley did not have to wait long for another, and the same move again paid dividends, this time with Merritt firing home himself to give Henley the lead.

Merritt extended Henley’s lead from open play, scrapping his way through the D against each of the Milton Keynes defenders before eventually wiggling his way free at the top of the D to spin and shoot into the bottom right corner to make it 4-2.

Henley had chances to make it more, with the Milton Keynes keeper making several impressive saves and a defender’s goal line clearance from a Jamie Taylor shot denying them a fifth goal.

As the game wore to a close, Henley tired and as the visitors went more direct, there were some threatening long balls for forwards to chase that kept the hosts on their guard, but they saw out the half to secure the three points.

HENLEY 4ths went down to a 3-0 defeat in their South Central Division 1 Thames clash at promotion-chasing WALLINGFORD 3rds.

Henley were depleted due to half term absences but they put in a strong performance with some good possession hockey being played.

The visitors gave debuts to two players and in the first half played good possession hockey and had some good chances, albeit without being able to apply the finishing touch.

Wallingford were playing largely on the break, and with five minutes to half-time, the hosts took the lead with a sharply taken goal.

The second half started with the hosts pressing high up the pitch and Henley, while they were still able to threaten the Wallingford defence at times, when the hosts pushed forward, sometimes became flustered, clearing the ball straight back to an attacker. Such an error resulted in the second goal when a failed clearance from a short corner was fired back past the stranded Henley keeper. Henley dug in but were unable to prevent the hosts from adding one more goal to their score.

In South Central Division 3 Thames, hosts HENLEY 5ths crashed to a 5-1 defeat at home to MARLOW 7ths. Marlow’s strong combination of youth and experience got them off to a fast start and despite some spirited resistance from the Henley defence opened the scoring early on.

The Marlow pressure continued throughout the first half but the hosts’ back line of Dan Bradbury, Nick Shuttleworth and Jonathan Williams held firm.

Henley went close to equalising on a couple of occasions through some strong counter-attacking, and with the score 1-0 in the visitors’ favour at the break, everything was still very much to play for.

Henley came out with purpose in the second half and before long had won themselves a penalty corner. Midfielder Ed Earl received the ball, struck it well and via the keeper’s pads, it found the back of the net but their joy turned to anguish as the umpires deemed the ball had lifted too high.

Marlow converted their next attack to double their lead. Despite this Henley continued to work hard in both defence and attack but suffered another stroke of misfortune midway through the second half when goalkeeper Ed Hems, who had been putting in a fine performance, suffered a dislocated shoulder and was unable to continue.

Marlow made the most of the situation converting another three second-half goals. Henley replied with a consolation penalty flick, which was put away by John Powell, a first goal for him in a Henley shirt.