In a thrilling encounter against Havant, Henley women's 1st XI secured a hard-fought and thoroughly deserved three points, with a dramatic late goal sealing the victory and giving the home side plenty to celebrate!

The Henley women, sporting their familiar amber colours, started the game brightly and immediately put Havant, in their white and green strip, under pressure. An early short corner gave Henley the opportunity to take the lead, but unfortunately, the chance went begging.

Havant soon fought back, putting the Henley defence under increasing pressure and eventually earning themselves a penalty flick. However, Henley's goalkeeper Daisy Ruhle was having none of it! Completely unfazed, Daisy pulled out her best Spider-Man impression, stretching to make a fantastic save against the aerial shot. A huge moment for the ambers, and one that gave the team real belief that this game was theirs for the taking.

With confidence growing, Henley began to find their rhythm. Some skilful mid field play allowed Lucy Wiseman, leading the charge up front, to showcase her silky skills, dancing past Havant defenders and repeatedly putting the visitors under pressure. This attacking intent resulted in several short corners, which were brilliantly executed but frustratingly kept out by the Havant goalkeeper.

In midfield, Kiera Halloran and Charlotte Hetherington showed some fantastic stick skills, keeping the away side on their toes and helping Henley maintain control. Despite the growing pressure, the ambers just couldn't quite find the breakthrough.

Havant continued to battle hard and eventually won another unfortunate penalty, but much to Havant's frustration and Henley's delight, Daisy was yet again completely unfazed! Casually stepping up to the challenge, she produced another superb save, this time using her stick to keep the ball out. Two penalty flicks, two saves. Daisy was certainly proving a tough obstacle to get past and gave the Henley women even more confidence that the points were there for the taking.

At the other end, some strong defensive tackles from Billie Moore and Rachel Townley ensured the home side stayed firmly in the contest, preventing Havant from gaining the upper hand. Their resilience and determination proved crucial as Henley continued to search for a winner.

And then, in the final minutes, the hard work finally paid off!

A swift and beautifully executed transfer of play saw the ball move all the way from Lucy Jean-Jean in Henley's defensive D, into Charlotte Granger-Holcombe in the middle, who, with a perfectly timed pass, found Caitlin Barrass in the forward line. Barrass used her pace to burst past the Havant defence and win Henley a crucial short corner.

With the pressure firmly on, Henley delivered when it mattered most. A perfectly executed pass from Hetherington found Emma Joseph on the left of the D, giving her the time and space to send the ball across goal. Waiting patiently in the perfect position on the penalty spot was Granger-Holcombe, who made no mistake, calmly tapping the ball into the far-right corner to put Henley ahead for the first time!

Cue celebrations!

The ambers carried this momentum into the final minutes, keeping things simple, playing concise hockey and seeing out the game with confidence and composure.

A fantastic team performance, built on determination, resilience and some excellent attacking play. Special recognition goes to Daisy Ruhle for her two outstanding penalty flick saves, and to the whole squad for continuing to fight until the very end.

Three incredibly important and well-earned points for Henley Women's 1st XI, providing the perfect boost ahead of some tough fixtures in the coming weeks.

A late winner, two penalty flick saves and three points in the bag. What more could you ask for? Come on Henley!