Written By : Tony Stone on 02/03/2025

Categories: Match Report

SIL Senior Division: Henley Athletic FC 1-0 Trimley Red Devils FC

The crowd of 106 who gathered to watch this prequel to Friday’s upcoming semi-final between these two sides, were treated to a fine display of football, with both sides playing a neat passing game. Despite Henley’s overall dominance, it still took a wonder goal to split these two evenly matched teams.

Prior to the opening whistle, we were all reminded of the triviality of our game, when taken in context of the tragic loss of a 24 year old, as an immaculately observed, two minutes silence took place in remembrance of Toby Chenery, with all the Henley players wearing black armbands. The thoughts of all at Henley are with Toby’s family and with our friends at Halesworth Town FC.

Henley started sharply, Hooley and Grabowski forcing Crump into two saves at his near post in the opening 6 minutes. Trimley blazed an opportunity high and wide, before again Crump came to the rescue on 16 minutes, saving a Storey header from a Hooley free kick. On 28 minutes Trimley burst forward against the run of play, but Grabowski’s acceleration got him back to make the covering challenge.

On 40 minutes Trimley were extremely fortunate to keep 11 on the pitch as Crump clearly handled the ball outside his area, the advantage initially played was cancelled out by the defenders who got back to deny Hooley, leaving the score at 0-0 at HT.

Henley piled the pressure on even more after the break, pinning Trimley in their own final third, however the visitors still posed a threat, as on 58 minutes Storey was required to clear the ball off his goal line. Up the other end Bell’s header from a Hooley freekick went narrowly wide. But the pressure was building inexorably and Henley were finally rewarded when Captain Storey hit home with an overhead kick from a Grabowski corner for 1-0.

Trimley kept searching for the equaliser but failed to really trouble Punter in the Henley goal as the game finished with a 1-0 Henley victory.

A good all round team performance from Henley, with all 15 involved playing their part, MOTM went to Grabowski, who had an excellent game, it was also good to see cameos from Cowan and Ben Prime, both returning from injury in time for Friday’s semi final.