Chinnor 23, Henley Hawks 16
Whatever head coach Jason Bowers said to his players at half-time seemed to do the trick as Chinnor reached the Oxfordshire Cup semi-finals.
Chinnor trailed 8-6 after a lacklustre first half at Kingsey Road, but came out fired up in the second to score three tries.
They will now visit Grove, who sent a vocal and sizeable contingent to spy on their future opponents, in the last four.
While National 2 South outfit Henley fielded essentially a second team, Chinnor, who play a league below them, were closer to their current first-choice side.
The match was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Nick Stock, father of Chinnor prop Ian, who died last week.
Despite playing into the wind on a bitterly cold night, Henley had the better of the early exchanges, taking the lead with a fifth-minute penalty from centre Jonno Lowther.
Chinnor fly half Mark Chase replied in kind five minutes later, but their play was characterised by handling errors and a lack of direction.
Henley produced a slick move on 14 minutes, with fly half Steve Drake and flanker Chris Emmett creating a try for lively full back Adam Lubbock.
Lubbock’s opposite number Richard Williams launched a Chinnor attack with a mazy run before finding Chase, but Henley covered well.
Chase missed a long-range penalty, but slotted a simpler one just before half-time.
Chinnor’s renewed edge in the second half was clear as lock Ed Devine surged thr-ough midfield.
Soon afterwards, flanker Ed Vickers stretched over on the left and the hosts led 11-8.
Chinnor prop Joe Pickett and No 8 Ed Rixon enjoyed rampaging runs, while their strong scrum earned them a second try on 55 minutes.
Referee Tom Davis twice penalised Henley at five-metre scrums and the third infringment led to a penalty try, converted by Chase.
Replacements Stock, Ricky Hopwood and Matt Goode added impetus as had lock Andy Smith earlier.
But Henley kept battling and reduced the arrears with a Lowther penalty on 65 minutes.
The game was made safe with a superb catch-and-drive try that Henley simply couldn’t contain, flanker Tom Mowbray getting the touch down.
That said, Henley finished the stronger and gained a late second try that their pressure desrved.
It was an odd one when it came as Chinnor wing Pip Seymour tried to hack clear a bouncing ball, but saw it elude him for Henley hooker Ed Church to pounce and dive over.
Chinnor: R Williams, Seymour, Green, Angel (Goode 56), B Corpe, Chase, Prescott (Hopwood 56), Winpenny (capt) (Stock 56), Tattersall (Cawston 74), Pickett, Blewitt (Smith 44), Devine, Mowbray, Vickers, Rixon.
Henley Hawks: Lubbock, Clarke, Monahan, Lowther, Southwell, Drake (capt), Molloy, Gentilli, Church, Penny, Thomas, Downing, Holloway, Emmett, T Payne.
Referee: T Davis (Oxfordshire).
Man-of-the-match: Pickett.
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