An early Saturday start sent Henley on the road to face league leaders Witney. The first half saw the Henley side match a strong Witney team toe to toe, keeping them locked at 0–0 and frustrating their fast attack with disciplined defence and good connections across the pitch. It was the Henley side who earned the first short corner of the game — followed by plenty more — but despite the pressure, the ball just wouldn’t quite cross the line. Credit to Witney defence, who pulled off a series of goal-line saves to keep Henley out.

On two occasions, Henley were reduced to ten players in the first half, however their effort and composure never dipped.Continuing to move the ball well through midfield, the Henley side produced some lovely linking play through Emma Joseph and Charlotte Hetherington.

After half time, it was Witney that finally found the break through, and unfortunately, once they did, the momentum shifted. Henley heads dropped a little and the Witney forwards took advantage, adding four more goals in fairly quick succession.

Despite the scoreline, there were some excellent performances across the pitch, in particular from Billie Moore with her solid defence and great attacking play down the right.
A 5–0 defeat doesn’t reflect how hard-fought this game really was. There were plenty of positives, lots to build on, and a performance that showed Henley can compete with the best in the league. Next week is a home game against Oxford.