Season ends with a loss for 2s

In the final game of the season rearranged due to snow in March, Henley 2s fought valiantly with 11 men in the spring warmth but ultimately suffered with a lack of rotation options. Old Merchant Taylors 2s were in need of 3 points to assure league survival and were clearly up for the challenge, arriving at Henley with 15 players with which to give them the edge in the fitness stakes.

It was by no means a foregone conclusion however, and Henley acquitted themselves very well in the early stages. The first attacks of any note were made the home team as OMT appeared to struggle to get the best configuration of players on the pitch. Tim Herbert and, 2s player of the season, John Doyle created problems for the OMT defence with their pace and skill. Measures and Pratt in the centre of midfield were too strong for the OMT midfield to be at all creative, and when they did manage to get the ball into the Henley circle the defence with Bowyer in goal stood firm which led to some frustration for the visitors. The breakthrough came from an OMT penalty corner which they slipped left allowing the striker to score from a narrow angle. Henley were soon level though when a miscued drag out from a penalty corner came to captain Dan Herbert who took to ball to the right and fired laser-like shot through a crowd to find the OMT backboard. Parity was not kept for long after a carbon copy penalty corner gave OMT the lead again just before half time.

The visitors’ intentions for the second half were made very clear as they pushed players further up the pitch in order to put pressure on the Henley defence. The tactic did not immediately bear fruit as Henley merely stifled the attackers of service, however OMT’s numerical advantage allowed them to deploy fresher legs than Henley to cope with, and the lead was duly stretched to 3-1.

A potential turning point for Henley was gifted through a comical misjudgement by the OMT keeper who appeared to dive over John-Joe Cottam’s rather weak shot to make it 3-2. Spurred on by this, the home team played with a flair and enjoyment which rattled their opponents. Having run out of steam on a warm day though, Henley received a sucker-punch when OMT broke quickly down the right and found a way through to the goal from the ensuing penalty corner. Henley were undaunted, and in a further twist pulled another goal back, again through Cottam though this time with power. 4-3 seemed a fair reflection on the game, however with the clock running out as fast as Henley’s puff, the visitors sealed victory with a fifth goal.

So, a ninth place finish was a creditable league position given a mid-season wobble which saw Henley pointless in seven games and staring into the abyss. Season highlights included beating Sonning, Newbury and Wycombe convincingly, and putting 11 goals past Ramgahria.