A (very) early bright Saturday morning saw the newly formed Henley Ladies 4s debut in their first league fixture away against Amersham & Chalfont 7s. With a blend of energetic youth from their colts and a more mature vintage coming through from the Back2Hockey Academy all under the experienced leadership of Captain Ali Jean-Jean, there was a buzz of anticipation among the squad. Sadly, three players laid low last minute with a sickness bug, leaving the somewhat diminished team to line up, knowing it would be a game of grit and endurance.

The hosts took the first push back, with Henley coming out strong to quickly intercept the ball. With some well connected passes in the mid-field, a slick interchange down the left flank led to a well-placed cross into the D where Charlotte Clark confidently found the back of the net for the first goal inside of 7 minutes. With the seasoned wisdom of Kat Green at the back line directing the press, it wasn’t long before Charlotte
found her groove again with a powerful shot towards goal, guided in by Katherine Alderton on the post. With the ball consistently high in the opposition’s half, Henley’s forwards and mid-fielders continued to pile on the pressure until the half time whistle blew with a 2-0 lead to Henley.

In the second half, a chaotic scramble in the D saw Henley awarded a penalty flick. Young colt Tilly Alderton calmly stepped up with the maturity of a seasoned pro and slotted the ball neatly past the helpless keeper with ease - and setting her level with her mother on a goal a piece! With the team displaying an impressive level of sustained fitness for the beginning of the season, the back-line held tight and firm, linking the play neatly up to the mid-field and onto the stick of captain Ali, who triumphed with another cheeky goal in the final 5 minutes of play. Against what would have seemed the odds before the game started, the final score was 4-0 to a euphoric Henley 4s where, despite minimal rotations being possible, every player gave 100%, tracking back, making leads and keeping the tempo high in readiness for a great season ahead.