Promotion hopes continue with 6-3 victory over Reading

Henley 3rd team took another crucial step towards promotion on Saturday with a commanding 6-3 victory over Reading 3rds, with an excellent performance from the visiting goalkeeper preventing a wider margin of victory.

Knowing that three points was crucial, Henley soon settled into quick passing and the attacking style of hockey which has become their trademark this season. Matthew Herbert at left back and Ian Heggie at right back both distributed the ball at pace up the flanks, and the midfield of James Baker, Jack Draycott, John-Joe Cottam and Leo Packham stifled Reading’s offensive play and set up Henley’s attacking moves.

With mounting pressure, Julian Herbert opened the scoring after excellent work in the Reading area by Timothy Herbert. Draycott added another soon after from a penalty corner, picking up a rebound and depositing the ball resoundingly in the roof of the net. Baker then took the score to 3-0 from Henley’s dangerous penalty corner routine, again seizing on a rebound.

Reading drew a goal back following a rare defensive error, but Draycott then scored his second with a superb individual goal, keeping two defenders at bay as he entered the Reading area before releasing a sharp shot to find the bottom corner of the goal with precision.

With a 4-1 lead at half time, Henley looked reasonably comfortable although with the frenetic pace difficult to sustain, Reading were always in with a chance of scoring.

Reading snatched another goal back to take the score to 4-2, but James Rechner extended the lead to 5-2 following a superb move. Cottam charged down the Reading right back to steal the ball, leading to a quick transfer through Baker, Heggie and Ian Rechner, finally finding James Rechner who then finished neatly.

Julian Herbert capped off a fine performance with a goal following a piercing move down the right hand side. Heggie’s long pass found James Rechner who then set up Timothy Herbert, whose shot was well saved by the Reading goalkeeper. Julian Herbert picked up the rebound and unleashed a fearsome shot from a narrow angle. Reading added another in the dying minutes to take the final score to 6-3.