Henley 36 Canterbury 35: National League 2 East match report

By David Haigh

The tries flowed, the result went Henley's way 36-35 but Canterbury showed huge resilience to snatch two valuable National League 2 East points from the final play of the match.

Henley's late score threatened to rob the city side of anything and that would have been a serious injustice in game that was always in the balance. But as the clock ticked into the 80-minute zone they launched one last offensive and Harvey Furneaux put in the essential finishing burst for his second try of the afternoon.

Canterbury's biggest regret will be their failure to put away their first-half chances when their scrum was on top and they spent plenty of time on the front foot.

A poor start saw them concede a try in the first minute as Hawks’ Guy Rawsthorne completed Alex Hayton's break and it was the hosts’ greater ability to finish the job that earned them a 17-8 lead by the interval.

A Frank Reynolds penalty goal, won by the front row, put Canterbury on the scoreboard but five minutes later Hawks hit them with a catch-and-drive touchdown from Tom Emery.

The city side's lack of accuracy frustrated them, although there was plenty to admire about the one try they did manage. With the ball swept wide, Will Hilton was on Garry Jones' shoulder to take his pass and make the score.

Hawks matched that after Ryan Crowley's chip kick led to some clever angles and handling for Rawsthorn's second touchdown, converted by Max Titchener. Then came a second half that underlined that you cannot afford to pass up those earlier opportunities in this tough division.

Canterbury started well with a Furneaux try in the first minute, went on to capture the lead twice and outscored Henley - but it was not quite enough.

The accuracy of Reynolds’ boot