Win for Town

Woodley Town verses Henley Town was always going to be a fiercely competitive game with it being a local derby. Add to that the fact that Woodley could go level on points with third placed Henley if they won; the ingredients were set for a tasty fixture.

In front of the League’s biggest crowd of the day of seventy three spectators a highly competitive match ensued with seven cautions being shared between the two sides.

As to be expected from a team in goal scoring form Woodley started the brighter with Carl Davies breaking through the Henley defence on five minutes to be caught and tackled by a determined Alex Salmon just as he was going to shoot.

This was followed immediately by Davies, six yards out, being inches from making headed contact with a Tom Williams’ cross and Luke Williams cutting in from a Tom Williams’ pass on eight minutes an shooting tamely at Henley’s Lee Johnson.

After this opening burst Henley, started to take a foot hold in the match and the remaining best chances of the half fell to them.

Woodley pushed up after clearing a corner on the goal line thinking opponents were offside, but it left three Henley players unmarked, one of who reacted to a header that was going wide but who was unable to direct a shot goal wards.

Henley had another decent opportunity to open the scoring when Dan Cole flashed a shot right across the face of Oneal Garnes’ goal.

The home side’s midfield led by man of the match Chris Hutton endeavoured to keep them in the match and started to exert their own pressure in the final ten minutes. However, the closest they thought they came to a goal scoring chance was when Jamie Fairchild crossed through the Henley penalty area to Davies, who in turn saw his cross palmed by a defender only for the referee to wave play on.

Woodley were not having much luck with injuries. Dan Jewell was forced off with a foot injury following a clash with Tommy Boylan, so Jon Christopher was forced to play in defence and James Varndell was brought on. In the opening minutes of the first half, a strong tackle injured Varndell and Paul Wilder was introduced to take his place.

Woodley looked more threatening in the second half and Tom Williams had a header flash across goal and it was agonisingly close to Nick Edwards as he scrambled to add the finishing touch. Davies had a good header go marginally over the crossbar from a Fairchild corner and Henley looked vulnerable.

However, the game drifted into a series of free kicks from heavy challenges and Garnes was required to make a tremendous point blank save from Sam Whiting to keep the score goalless.

Wilder headed wide from a Luke Williams free kick on sixty six minutes before Woodley scored the only goal on seventy two minutes. A flowing move involving Luke Williams, Davies and Fairchild saw the latter pick out Tom Williams with a precise through ball and his chest control and left foot shot was too good for Lee Johnson.

It could have been two when Tom Williams again found himself in an advanced position and when he squared for the unmarked Wilder, Henley’s defence recovered and cleared. Davies had a shot go straight at the Johnson but Henley rallied and started to press the home side back.

Garnes claimed cross after cross as Henley pressed but created no clear chances as Woodley defended excellently throughout the team.

With a number of players absent and ill, this victory is a testament to the strength in depth of the Woodley squad as they continue their impressive run of results ahead of the visit to improving Chalfont Wasps next Saturday.

Garnes, Jewell (Varndell, Wilder), Nunn, Edwards, Nightingale, T Williams, Christopher, Hatton, Fairchild, Davies, L Williams, Sub not used: Hiscock