Troubled Henley feel the force of Freeman (From Gazette Series)

Troubled Henley feel the force of Freeman

Slimbridge 4 Henley Town 2

THINGS are not going well for Henley at this moment as they arrived at Wisloe Road for this Premier Division game without a manager (Albie Stevenson having resigned earlier in the week), losing their goalkeeper Stuart Gosby after 30 minutes to a red card for abuse to an assistant referee, and seeing Julian Freeman give a virtuoso performance, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-2 Slimbridge win.

The visitors however, did get an early lead on four minutes to shock the home side, when Philip Arden ran free down the right to slot the ball past a diving Ryan Chandler. Gradually Slimbridge came back into the game with Rich Moore, Craig Cole and the irresistible Freeman causing havoc in the Henley defence for most of the afternoon.

After Moore had fired wide, Slimbridge drew level on 21 minutes when a deep free kick from skipper Andy Pritchett dropped just under the bar. Moore challenged Gosby who mistimed his jump and Freeman headed in. Five minutes later and another free kick, this time from the left by Gary Marshall, retaining his place after an impressive display the previous week, was headed on by Moore to Freeman who calmly slotted in to put the hosts in front for the first time.

The Henley rearguard were starting to look less than solid when on the half hour a corner given against a scrambling Gosby upset the goalkeeper to the extent that verbal exchanges with a match official led to his red card and acting player/manager George Friel taking the gloves.

The second half opened with Cole hitting a post and spurning a further chance, before being tripped in the area and being awarded a penalty. Cole's spot kick effort hit the bar with Friel nowhere and was cleared at the second time of asking.

Against the run of play, ten men Henley equalised on 62 minutes through a miss kick from Chandler and saw Danny Seaward stroke the ball into an unguarded net from an acute angle. Going straight back on the attack, the hosts' Jon Embling got in a good cross but Freeman , off balance, headed wide with the goal begging.

Then Cole, who was doing everything right bar score, again shot wide on 71 minutes. Three minutes later Cole again burst through the Henley back line but was sent sprawling by Friel in the area and another penalty opportunity. Spot kick duty was then taken up by Freeman who completed his hat trick with a well struck shot high into the net to put Slimbridge ahead for the second time.

On 77 minutes Cole then made yet another impressive break but his shot took a slight deflection wide. With the Green brothers, Matt and Mike, playing in the same Slimbridge side for the first time since early season helping Moore and Fred Ward seal up the midfield in the later stages of the match, it was all the home side.

Deep into added on time Joe Iatalese, on for Freeman who had taken a slight knock, threw himself at a cross from Embling and got a connection into the net with Friel flapping.

In truth Slimbridge should have been out of sight well before the end of the game, but the encouraging point is that chances are being made even if they are not all being taken, as manager Doug Gray pointed out after the match. From the Henley viewpoint they are, and looked, a team in crisis at the moment.

This is not really surprising as they started the season really well and were at one time the only undefeated side in the Premier Division. Football can seem a cruel game at times.

Slimbridge team: R Chandler, Matt Green (T Callinan 79), J Embling, A Pritchett, A Thomas, R Moore, E Ward, Mike Green, J Freeman (J Iatalese 89), C Cole, G Marshall (L Sterling 65).

Tomorrow Slimbridge travel to Carterton Town (kick off 3pm). The two teams last met at Wisloe Road on the opening day of the league season when Slimbridge ran out 3-1 winners, but Carterton have been steadily improving as the season has gone on and a difficult game is envisaged.