Henley Ath vs Halesworth Town

A crowd of 104 saw Henley retain their top of the table position with a come from behind 2-1 win over Halesworth Utd. A thrilling and full-blooded game, which saw neither side give an inch and wholeheartedly compete for every ball.

Both sides pressed hard, but real chances were hard to come by, as both defences gave their all to block that all important final ball, challenges flew in across the pitch as both teams battled for everything. As it was, it was the visitors took the lead after 38 minutes, Garrad finishing neatly past Lynch at the back post for 0-1. Henley came close twice in the dying moments of the half, Gav Van Oene firing just over from a Bruce cross and Bruce himself hitting the post, direct from a corner, but at HT it was 0-1.

Early in the 2nd half Bruce saw his effort tipped away, before an astonishing tackle from Reid won the ball on the edge of the Halesworth box and Liam Ablitt’s curling effort was also tipped over. At the other end Lynch batted one away off the post in a goalmouth scramble and reached high to tip over an effort from Payne.

The game turned on the 70th minute, substitute Watling heading home a Van Oene corner from close range to equalise.

This put Henley in the ascendancy and they began to turn the screw, young Clayton-Leeks giving the Halesworth defence a torrid time with his trickery. Bruce crashed a drive narrowly wide, before seeing a freekick punched out on the 88th minute, but only as far as Gav Van Oene just outside the box, his vicious volley was tipped round with a brilliant save from Anderson.

But the pressure finally told, when from the subsequent Bruce corner, it was Tejano who rose highest to precisely direct his header into the corner for 2-1 and to the delight of the home support.

A fantastic display of character from Henley whose team spirit grows stronger with every game, much credit to a talented and extremely well organised Halesworth too for a game which was a credit to the SIL.

MOTM Byron Tejano