Written By : Tony Stone on 13/05/2024

Categories: Match Report

Saturday saw Henley Athletic FC Reserves win the SIL Division 4 title, their 2nd Championship in two seasons, having secured the Division 5 title last year, once again, along with our 1st team retaining their Senior Division title, making it a double winning year for the club. Reserve team Manager Dan Barnard, provided the following match report.
The day had come Saturday, and it had echoes of an Ipswich town feel to it, win or draw and we win the league. Going into the game we were missing 2 of our top goalscorers, one unavailable and one deciding to take his summer holiday already.
The game got off to a somewhat tense start, with a large crowd watching giving us the 12th man we needed to get on the front foot. Within 15 mins Curtis Walker danced past a couple of players and unleashed a shot in the bottom corner to give us a 1-0 lead, his “Suiiii” celebration with the bench getting us pumped up. The players were fighting for every ball and with a late flurry of chances from Cockfield, well defended including a goal line clearance we went into the break 1-0 up.
The 2nd half started the same as the first, with us fighting for every ball and in the 60th minute Leon played a ball which landed at the feet of  Bruno, who had seen the keeper move to the other side of the goal and nicely slotted in the bottom corner for 2-0. The celebration was incredible, a massive bundle near the dugout, we now knew that we could sit comfortable and play our fluent passing game, feeling that we weren’t  going to concede unless we had a lapse of concentration.
After 75 mins in we were awarded a penalty which Matt Kersey nicely slotted away and that was game set and match, a special mention to Louis Mott who come back on the pitch as goalkeeper which meant he had played in every position this season.
The final whistle blew and celebrations started, red and green flares on the pitch and the boys jumping with joy. Special mentions go to Cockfield team and their management, who stayed and gave us the guard of honour and waited for us to lift the trophy. Thanks also to my management team Darren Pleasance and Alan Jackson they been my rocks throughout the season. To all the committee that have worked so hard for us this season we couldn’t have done it without them. Time to rest enjoy the presentation night which is always a good event and we go again next season