Henley Hawks 30-29 London Welsh
By Alistair Beynon
A late Ollie Snook drop goal saw Henley Hawks Men edge past London Welsh by the narrowest of margins in an absorbing National 2 East clash on Saturday afternoon.
For the Hawks, it was an excellent five-point victory after coming so close at Westcombe Park on the opening day of the season. However, they will know that Welsh could easily have taken the points themselves had it not have been for wastefulness on their part.
Luke Allen and his coaches had to make several enforced changes from the Westcombe Park clash, with numerous injuries stretching playing resources thin, particularly in the pack.
And as last week, the Hawks were slow to get going, with the visitors looking far more composed from the outset. Morgan was pulling the strings well at 10, with former Exeter Chief Max Bodilly also making hard yards through the middle of the Henley defence.
The visitors early dominance was rewarded when powerful Number 8 Thomas Marshall muscled his way over the whitewash following concerted pressure on the Henley try-line. Morgan converted and the visitors had their noses in front at 7-0 with 10-minutes gone.
That lead was extended further six minutes later when ex-Hawk Lailand Gordon did brilliantly to touch down in the corner following an excellent team move. Marshall was again at the forefront of everything with a storming break into the Henley half which saw the ball recycled quickly and Gordon did the rest.
Henley were shellshocked and despite Morgan missing the touchline conversion, the visitors lead had been stretched to 12-0 with a quarter of the game gone.
As last week, the setback seemed to light a collective fire within the Hawks side, and they slowly began to wrestle back the initiative. With their first foray into the Welsh 22, an excellent driving maul saw flanker Scotty White the man to dot down to open the Hawks account. Snook was narrowly wide with his conversion attempt from out wide.
Poor discipline was giving the visitors opportunities to stretch their lead again, but a combination of wayward kicking from Morgan, who failed to find touch on more than one occasion, and superb defensive work from the Hawks kept Welsh out.
The away side were made to pay for their wastefulness close to the half hour mark when the Hawks grabbed their second of the afternoon. Another powerful driving maul saw Henley five metres out from the Welsh line, before the outstanding Nelly Kinniburgh peeled off the back and managed to wrestle his way over the whitewash. Snook was again narrowly wide with the extras, but there was just two points in it at 12-10 to the visitors.
Henley were soon back on the attack thanks to an excellent break from fullback Tom Molhoek which put the home side into the Welsh 22. The referee indicated a penalty advantage to the Hawks, and this time Snook took advantage in front of the posts to edge Henley in front at 13-12.
The Hawks were struggling to retain the ball at restarts throughout the game, and Welsh had one further opportunity to retake the lead just before the interval. Again turning down a regulation three-pointer for the promise of more, Henley's defensive line held firm, despite losing flanker Max Brown to a yellow card just before the half-time whistle. The game was very much in the balance at the break, and it really was anyone's game.
Starting the second half in a similar vein to the first, Welsh took advantage of the extra man on 44-minutes when hooker Buster Wilkins powered over from close range. Morgan converted and Welsh had wrestled back the initiative at 19-13.
However, this ebb and flow contest took another dramatic turn just a minute later when White claimed his second of the game after he brilliantly charged down Morgan's clearance to dot down. Snook added the extras and the home side had clawed back the lead again at 20-19.
Welsh were again back in the Henley half following another poor restart from the Hawks. And with a penalty advantage to play, the away side opted for a change in tactics, and this time Morgan nudge his side back into the ascendency with a fairly regulation three pointer.
Back came Henley on the attack, but the ball was lost in midfield and the ever alert Gordon managed to hack the ball clear. It was now a footrace between the Welsh wing and Molhoek as to who could get to there first, and it was Gordon who managed to dive over the line to secure the visitors bonus point score.
It was a bitter pill for Henley to swallow, and the seven point swing meant that with Morgan's conversion, the away side were two scores clear at 29-20 with a quarter of the game remaining.
To their great credit, Henley refused to buckle and were soon back in the ascendency. A dominant scrum on the visitors 22 gave Leo Webb an opportunity to launch an attack and Marcus Lowe evaded a couple of errant tackles to cross by the posts for Henley's bonus point try. Again, Snook converted and it was just two points in it at 29-27 and a nervy last 10-minutes lay in store.
It looked for all the money in the world that Welsh would come away with the five points, as Henley just couldn't find a way through the sea of red. However, a strange moment occurred on the 78-minute mark, when Welsh scrum half Oli Monye kicked the ball out thinking that time was up.
The opportunity gave Henley one last chance in the Welsh half to steal the win. Patiently working their way through the phases, and with the clock heading into the red, replacement scrum half Iwan Hughes found Snook in the pocket with a pinpoint pass, and the Hawks flyhalf calmly stroked the ball through the middle of the uprights to spark wild celebrations amongst the Hawks players.
However, referee Josh Bamber indicated that there was to be one last play from the restart, and when Morgan put up an excellent kick, the visitors managed to claim it, earning themselves a penalty after Henley were adjudged to have taken the man out in the air.
With the penalty five metres out from touch, Morgan decided to go for the corner, but from the resultant lineout, Henley did well to force a knock-on which signalled the end of the contest.
It was a breathless, error-strewn, yet absorbing contest between two committed sides. Whilst Welsh will probably feel they did enough to earn the victory, their profligacy at vital moments proved to be their undoing, and Henley took full advantage.
Next up for Luke Allen's side is a trip to Guernsey this coming Saturday, kick-off at Footes Lane is 2pm.
Henley Hawks
Tries: White 23, 46, Kinniburgh 32, Lowe 63
Conversions: Snook 47, 64
Penalties: Snook 37
Drop Goals: Snook 80
15. Molhoek, 14. Scott (Hughes 61), 13. Phillips, 12. Leach, 11. Busby (Scott 69), 10. Snook, 9. Webb, 1. Bailey (Rawcliffe 33), 2. Kinniburgh, 3. Shplylka, 4. Elsey (c), 5. Harrison, 6. Brown, 7. White (Taylor 61), 8. Lowe
Replacements: 16. Rawcliffe, 17. Archer, 18. Taylor, 19. Hughes, 20. Howe
London Welsh
Tries: Marshall 10, Gordon 17, 57, Wilkins 44
Conversions: Morgan 11, 45, 58
Penalties: Morgan 52
15. McAvoy, 14. Gordon, 13. Bodilly, 12. Manley 11. Blain, 10. Morgan, 9. Monye, 8. Marshall, 7. George, 6. Perkins, 5. Breeze, 4. Pritchard (West 58), 3. Erhawah (Bignell 26), 2. Wilkins (Lloyd 56), 1. B. Williams (Erhawah 59)
Replacements: 16. Bignell, 17. Lloyd, 18. West, 19. H. Williams, 20. Ward
Star Man: Nelly Kinniburgh (Henley)
Attendance: 452
