Henley continue their fine start to the season

SIL Premier Division: Henley Athletic FC 3-0 Grundisburgh FC

A Portman Road reduced crowd of 37 saw Henley continue their good start to the season, with a hard fought 3-0 win over Grundisburgh. A combination of injuries, holidays, work and unavailability saw Manager Smythey have to reshuffle with 12 of the squad missing. There were 1^st starts for Petrea and McTiernan, with news signings Walker and Parnell making up the bench alongside 2 members of the coaching team.

Henley started brightly, Harrison Francis swinging in a corner after 2 minutes which Nile Francis headed fractionally wide. After 6 minutes, Petrea battled hard to win the ball on the halfway line, before picking out Wadey’s run with a precise through ball which bisected the Grundisburgh defence. Through one on one, Wadey stroked the ball into the corner from the edge of the penalty box, past the onrushing Read to make it 1-0.

Grundisburgh came close after 16 minutes, Fullwood poking narrowly wide after a corner, the visitors continued to press, a mishit, looping cross dropped out of the sky with Lee and Beaumont competing in the air, the ball bouncing off Beaumont’s back and going wide. After 20 minutes Henley made it 2-0, Harrison Francis whipping in a brilliant corner which curled and dipped, deceiving Read and going straight into the net. Both sides competed well for the remainder of the half, the only real chance falling the way of the visitors, Swann’s close-range drive, bravely blocked at close range by Velzian, leaving the score at 2-0 at the break.

1^st half knocks to Wright and Wadey, meant that Henley started the 2^nd half with debuts for both Walker and Parnell up front. The 1^st chance of the 2^nd half went Grundisburgh’s way after 61 minutes, a fine cross by Swann, headed wide from six yards out by Beaumont, who will feel he should’ve got his effort on target. Grundisburgh were enjoying a good spell of pressure, which was undone when Fitzgerald was sinbinned after 67minutes for dissent.

This relieved the pressure on Henley and they effectively put the game to bed after 72 minutes. Tejano intercepting the ball deep in his own half and picking out Petrea, who flicked the ball inside to Walker, who powered from the halfway line to drive in a vicious low drive from the edge of the area. Keeper Read saved well, but failed to hold it, as he avoided his own defender Merrick who was rushing back to cover, the ball bobbled loose and was rolled into the empty net by Petrea for 3-0.

On 77 minutes Grundisburgh did manage to get the ball in the net, but Merrick was offside as he poked home. Two minutes later Read does well to get hands to a rasping drive from Petrea to keep it a 3-0.  Henley came close again on 85 minutes, a Velzian freekick headed down by Nile Francis and poked just wide by Walker. Grundisburgh attack again on 89 minutes Fullwood racing onto a long ball, but puts his effort wide of the advancing Lee. A swift Henley counter attack on 92 minutes saw Read do well to push Harrison Francis’s strike round the post. In the final moments Lee dives to his left to save a top corner bound, curling freekick from Fitzgerald to maintain his clean sheet and secure the points for Henley with a 3-0 victory.

Another determined performance from the Hens, Manager Smythey proving the need for squad depth, with so many out, with those brought in as replacements all doing a fine job. MOTM went to Petrea on his 1^st start, he showed his quality throughout the game, topping it off with both a goal and an assist. Impressive showings too from the two new, big men up front Walker and Parnell who are sure to prove a handful for their markers in the remainder of the season.

#UppaHens

The Hat