On a beautiful sunny day, Henley Ladies 3s went into their final game of the season against Staines 3s feeling slightly nervous. With only two substitutes available, the focus was on controlling possession and trying to secure an early goal. However, the match didn’t quite go to plan. A few uncharacteristic errors in the opening 20 minutes meant Henley were under more pressure than expected as Staines pushed hard early on.

The breakthrough eventually came for Henley thanks to a great individual effort from Emily Matthews, who made a strong run down the right wing and showed real determination to force the ball past the goalkeeper, putting Henley 1–0 up going into half time.

After the break, Henley struggled to maintain their shape and discipline, allowing Staines to capitalise on a short corner to level the score. Despite this setback, Henley showed some excellent moments of play, particularly linking up through the centre with Charlotte Irving, Steph Rowe‑Elliott and Jules Tomlinson down the left. One such move resulted in a goal-bound effort, only to be deliberately stopped by a defender’s foot, earning Henley a penalty flick. Unfortunately, the flick was taken high by vice captain Fi Dunn and did not convert.

Late on, Staines broke quickly through the defence to score a decisive second goal. Despite pressing hard in the final minutes, Henley were unable to respond, ending the match with a frustrating 2–1 defeat.