Skipper among goals as Henley maintain 100 per cent record

HENLEY LADIES 1sts picked up a point from their home South Central Premier Division 1 clash with OXFORD 1sts last Saturday.

Henley came out firing, moving the ball well and enjoying plenty of possession from the off. At the other end, goalkeeper Anjana Sothynathan was solid throughout, making a series of important saves and putting in a composed all-round performance to keep Henley firmly in the game.

Oxford pushed back hard, but Henley’s structure and composure kept things locked at 0-0 heading into half-time.

The breakthrough came after the restart. Forward Maisie Robinson blocked an attempted outlet by the Oxford defence, holding the ball in the far corner of the baseline before firing a cross into the D, causing chaos. Sticks flew, feet scrambled and in the middle of it all Charlotte Hetherington was perfectly placed to knock the ball on to the backboard.

Oxford hit back with a short corner goal, levelling the scores in the last five minutes. The hosts kept pushing to the final whistle, but time ran out, leaving the points shared.

Division 2 North league leaders HENLEY LADIES 2nds ran out 2-1 winners at Bisham Abbey against MARLOW 3rds.

The home side started brightly, taking the game to Marlow in the opening
10 minutes. The midfield set the tone with a good work rate, while the forwards made relentless runs on to balls, stretching the Marlow defence. The breakthrough came after a fiery attacking phase. The ball was driven into the D along the baseline and fell to Hayley Munt, whose sharp shot was deflected into the path of Emma Buckham-Hedges. Reacting instinctively, she half-volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

Marlow had moments on the break, but the defensive unit of Alyx Clark, Georgie Grocock, Sophie Miller and Giorgia Fiorentino stood strong, dealing calmly with pressure and breaking up play effectively.

Just before half-time Marlow capitalised on a short corner and converted to level the scores.

Henley came out dominant in the second half and worked tirelessly on and off the ball. The midfield of Ellie Roseff, Bethan Lewis, Lily Baker, Sophy Rogers, Olivia Callway and Kirsten Botha controlled the tempo, winning key battles and distributing early to keep the pressure on. Izzy Woolfrey was resolute defensively, stepping in strongly and reading the game well to halt any Marlow advances. The attacking pressure finally paid off when Amelie Bayfield produced a storming run, rounding two defenders before striking the ball home.

Up front, Ellia Gurney and Harri Hayes kept the Marlow defence under constant strain with intelligent movement and sharp pressing. Henley continued to create chances as Munt once again rattled the crossbar, and several other attacks came close to extending the lead, only to be denied by good goalkeeping from Marlow.

Despite the narrow scoreline, Henley managed the closing stages with maturity and composure, controlling possession and seeing out the final minutes to secure the points.

HENLEY 3rds extended their unbeaten run to 13 Division 2 Thames games with a commanding 6-1 home victory against YATELEY 2nds.

The hosts started slowly, struggling to find rhythm until the 12th minute when Jo Corbett delivered a cross that Rosie Wilkinson calmly finished. The breakthrough settled Henley, and soon after, Wilkinson struck again, capping off a flowing move that began deep in defence.

Yateley pulled one back early in the second half, capitalising on an interception and a series of fortunate deflections to make it 2-1.

Henley responded with composure and pressure, and player-of-the-match Wilkinson completed her hat-trick from a well-rehearsed short corner routine.

The hosts continued to dominate, with good link-up play down the right from Ang Botha and Maeve Moorcroft releasing Jules Tomlinson, who unleashed a tomahawk strike to extend the lead.

Defender Fi Dunn then surged all the way into the D for an attempt of her own, before Jo Corbett added two late goals to seal the win.

Division 4 Thames league leaders HENLEY LADIES 4ths maintained their 100 per cent league record as they hammered visitors WINDSOR 5ths 9-0.

Windsor started brightly and showed early intent, fielding a youthful, energetic side that ensured the opening exchanges were fast and competitive.

Henley’s defence, marshalled by Nicky Watts, Evie Quinn and Isla Hallet, stood firm while goalkeeper Jasmine Hillyard remained well protected.

The breakthrough came after a flowing move from deep, with Bea Watts driving forward before Charlotte Jean-Jean and Charlotte Moore combined to feed Tilly Alderton, who calmly converted the opener.

Henley soon doubled their advantage when sustained pressure earned a short corner that captain Ali Jean-Jean dispatched.

From there, Henley began to showcase their most polished hockey of the season. Florence Moorcroft impressed with tireless runs down the right, while the midfield linked seamlessly with the forwards. Bea Watts added a third with an angled strike, before Tilly Alderton lifted an assured finish over the keeper for number four.

Charlotte Moore capitalised on a perfectly delivered ball from Ali Jean-Jean to make it five before the interval.

The second half brought more of the same, highlighted by a dynamic partnership between Katherine Alderton and Amy Hill. Their quick interplay inside the circle resulted in two well-taken goals from Hill, extending Henley’s lead to seven.

Windsor threatened briefly after catching Henley with a high defensive line, but the chance drifted wide. Kat Green scored Henley’s eighth before and Charlotte Jean-Jean combined neatly with Moore before firing home to complete the scoring.