Henley Ladies 4s welcomed 4 new players to their team this week, juniors Sophie Ward, Bridget Moorcroft and Mabel Felwick and senior player Aishling Humphries Griffiths as they travelled to meet Yateley 3s in an away match on Saturday afternoon. A trip to this hockey ground always provides a bit of a Duke of Edinburgh scale map reading challenge, but happily the team arrived with no drama and set about introducing themselves to each other and learning names! Always a classic start to any match.

Taking first push back, Henley dominated from the off. Strong linking passes between Quinn, Ward and Moorcroft saw early pressure in the D, but strong resistance from the Yateley defence and goalkeeper denied Henley any real chance at a goal. Subbing on, Ali Jean-Jean changed this dynamic. Storming up the pitch and weaving between players, she was able to break the deadlock and slot one home to open the scoring for Henley. Keeping with this intensity, it wasn't long before Henley were creating more chances and Nina Lloyd, finding herself in prime position made a reverse stick shot which hit the target and put Henley 2-0 ahead.

In response, Yateley were able to exploit some gaps in Henley's play to move the ball back down the pitch and win several short corners but were unable to convert. As Henley grew in confidence, Quinn and Felwick turned over the ball more quickly to move it further up the pitch. Capitalising on this play, Jean Jean powered up the right wing to the edge of the D and finding Amy Hill on the P spot sent a perfectly timed ball that Hill collected and sent calmly past the keeper to take Henley 3-0 ahead. In the final minutes of the first half, Ward seized her opportunity and ran through the middle of the pitch to the top of the D to take a shot on goal, which the keeper was unable to save.

Yateley regrouped in the second half and were able to stretch play to create opportunities for themselves. They penetrated Henley's D on several occasions to take shots on goal, but Henley keeper Sophia Price rose to the occasion and was able to parry anything they threw at her. Despite coming under sustained attack, she kept her composure and was able to block numerous attempts on goal. Now Yateley was looking to exploit any weaknesses in Henley's play and changing tactics, they set up rapidly on each free hit and sent the ball far up the pitch into space. Eventually this paid off and one of the Yateley forwards who was hanging high was able to pick up the ball and run into the D to score their first goal. This followed with several short corners being awarded to them, one of which they were able to convert, which brought the total to 4-2.

Henley responded by tightening their defence and working the ball up the pitch with short and tight pass and lead movements. Hill was ready for her next shot and when the opportunity arose, she didn't hesitate to take it, pushing Henley further into the lead with her 2nd goal and Henley's 5th. In the final moments of the game Quinn showed her versatility by catching a rebound from the Yateley keeper and slotting it past her to take the score to 6-2 to Henley at the final whistle.

Congratulations to Evie who was voted a very well-deserved Player of the Match with Bridget and Sophie receiving honourable mentions.