Henley arrived on the back of an excellent win the previous week, but immediately faced a difficult test. Binfield played with great physicality and organisation, while the strong prevailing wind also made conditions challenging for the visitors.

The first opportunity fell to Henley when Sam raced onto an excellent through ball from Freddie, but Binfield defended well to prevent an early breakthrough. Binfield then created the best chance of the first half, sending their striker through one-on-one. Riley produced a fantastic save before Owen reacted quickly to clear the rebound away from the goal line and preserve Henley’s clean sheet.

The hosts continued to compete strongly, ensuring the match remained goalless at half-time.

Henley increased their intensity after the break and Sam earned a penalty following a positive attacking move. The Binfield goalkeeper produced an excellent save, diving low to his left, before reacting superbly to parry away the follow-up attempt as well.

The home goalkeeper continued his impressive performance with another fine double save as Henley began to create more chances inside the penalty area. It took a special goal to finally break the deadlock. Owen won possession in midfield before striking the ball beautifully from 30 yards, sending an unstoppable effort into the top-right corner.

Sam nearly doubled the advantage after racing onto a brilliant through ball from Bailey, but his effort struck the crossbar. Binfield continued to work hard and remained firmly in the contest, but Henley eventually added their second goal with 15 minutes remaining. Freddie produced a beautifully weighted pass over the home defence, allowing Sam to race through and finish powerfully from around 15 yards.
Henley almost scored again in the closing moments through Player of the Day Max. After an outstanding performance in midfield, Max latched onto another Freddie pass and guided the ball across goal, only to see it drift narrowly wide.

This was a competitive and enjoyable match played between two committed teams. Binfield’s organisation, physicality and excellent goalkeeping made Henley work extremely hard for the result, while the Hotshots showed patience, determination and quality to secure the victory.

Full-time: Binfield Lions 0–2 AFC Henley Hotshots