Written By : Tony Stone on 06/04/2025

Categories: Match Report

77 gathered to watch this fairly even contest, a well organised Bergholt running out the victors, making the most of their chances against an improving Henley.

Bergholt had the ball in the net after only 6 minutes, but were denied the opener by a tight offside call, 3 minutes later, again Bergholt thought they had scored, this one chalked off for a rather more obvious foul. Both sides were playing some decent football, Punter catching a long distance drive at full stretch and Graham heading narrowly wide from a Grabowski corner, but it remained 0-0 at HT.

The second half continued in the same vein, Grabowski’s freekick skimming the top of the bar after 55 minutes. But two minutes later it was Bergholt who took the lead, Henley appealing for offside, as Elseidy broke clear, Punter did well to block the 1st shot, but couldn’t stop the follow up, leaving it 1-0 to the home side. Henley pushed for the equaliser, Scrivener saving well to deny Wharton-Richardson.

On 73 minutes Bergholt scored a fine second, a good interchange of passes and a neat finish into the bottom corner from Watson making it 2-0. On 77 minutes Kyle Brown beat Smythe to the ball and finished well to make it 3-0. Henley’s woes deepened when Smythe’s hand was adjudged to have prevented a goal scoring opportunity and he saw red, leaving Henley with ten men.

Hooley did test Scrivener from long range, and Cooper narrowly missed getting a toe to a Hooley corner, but on 88 minutes Dende was brought down in the box and Ballard slammed home the penalty to bring the final score to 3-1.

Injuries are biting hard for Henley now, with far too many missing, but today did show some sign of improvement as we build for next season.

Thanks to all at Bergholt for their, as always, exemplary welcome and hospitality.