Written By : Tony Stone on 27/10/2024

Categories: Match Report

A crowd of 95, saw an exciting game between two committed teams, the ever-improving Henley defeating Grundisburgh 6-2 to go third in the table.

Yet again Henley were quickest out of the blocks and looked like they should have had a 1st minute penalty when Prime was felled as he burst into the area, but appeals were waved away. In the 3rd minute White was released by a lovely lifted ball, he knocked it past the keeper, but was defeated by the narrow angle and saw his shot hit the foot of the post. The sustained Henley pressure told on 5 minutes, Hooley twisting past his marker, his shot going underneath keeper Waters for 1-0. The lead was short lived as only 2 minutes later Grundisburgh found an equaliser, Page superbly curling his shot into the top corner for 1-1.

But Henley kept attacking and were rewarded after 19 minutes, Hooley battling hard to keep the ball in play, before looping a cross to the back post, where Cole slid in to poke home for 2-1. But once again Grundisburgh came back, Prime adjudged to have committed a foul in the box, and ex Hen Ablitt making no mistake with the penalty to make it 2-2. A touch of class from Ablitt, not celebrating scoring against his former club. Henley continued to have the lion’s share of the possession but at the break the score remained 2-2.

Henley, were on the attack again after the restart, Wharton-Richardson heading narrowly wide from a Hooley freekick after 48 minutes. But Henley didn’t have to wait too long to retake the lead, on 50 minutes, Bell’s header, from a Hooley corner, deflecting over the line off Merrick for 3-2. Wharton-Richardson came close again on 65 minutes, weaving through a packed defence, but his shot flashed wide of the post. Substitutes Ballard and Dende combined for Henley’s 4th on 70 minutes, Ballard with a precise diagonal ball and Dende smashing past Waters at his near post for 4-2. Henley were streaming forward now, the fresh legs telling, Dende reacting to a quick throw in, Tejano nodding the ball on to Ballard, who absolutely rifled home from the edge of the area to make it 5-2 after 77 minutes.

To their credit, Grundisburgh refused to quit, hitting the post from a narrow angle on 80 minutes, and a terrific long range freekick hitting the bar after 86 minutes. But it was Henley who had the final say, the prolific Bell, heading home in the 93rd minute to bring the final score to 6-2.

A good all round team performance from the revamped Hens, with all 16 playing their part, Ben Prime won MOTM, his workrate, distribution and pace causing the visitors an issue all game. Indeed, the pace and link up play, of all 5 of Henley’s front men, proved too much for Grundisburgh to handle on the day. However Grundisburgh do play some nice football, especially going forward and despite their recent run or poor results, will have enough to stay in Senior football.