Weekly Update

An update of this weeks fixtures and last weeks results

Last Week’s Results
Ladies 3rd’s take “Team of the Week” for their spectacular 11-0 result over University of Leeds 8’s, which also makes them the highest scoring team in the senior club. Notable mentions also go to mens 5th’s for their 9-1 win over Halifax 5th’s, and to the Ladies 1/2 and 3/4 cup teams who both won their fixture, progressing to the next round.

Top Goalscorers
7 Goals – Asad Baig, Caro Schofield
5 Goals – Jimmy Swinden, Will Gascoigne
4 Goals – Ben Jackson, Frankie Tyrrell, Cherry Bedford, Natasha Wiper

Last Week’s Match Reports

Men’s 1st’s (2) vs. (3) Leeds 4th’s
The men’s firsts were away to Leeds on Saturday for what is always a tough encounter. Leeds play a well practiced game, one they no doubt work hard on in training. Slazenger in contrast, light on defenders, rolled the dice on a revolutionary formation that’s not seen the light since the days of Will Buckley. For the first phase of the game the gamble didn’t appear to pay off, Leeds went a goal up with 10 minutes, but there were signs it may not be all one way…

As Slazenger began to settle into the adjusted formation their conviction grew, Jimmy Swindon capitalised on this phase of play with a great strike into the top corner of the net. A period of committed defensive play then followed from Slazenger that saw half time arrive to a respectable 2 -1 score line.

The firsts started the second half quietly confident that they may actually steal a point from this away encounter. Confidence that was soon rewarded when Perry fired home to level the score line. With a quarter of the game left however Leeds stepped up a gear, Slazenger with little left in the legs struggled to hold them back, and with just minutes to go Leeds passed their 3 goal into the net to take the win. Slazenger would have always been fortunate to get something from this game, but with a handful of aerials from Chamberlain may be there is life after Midgley…?

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (4) Huddersfield 2nd’s
Slazenger 2nd team came out second best from an ill-tempered encounter with their opposite numbers from Huddersfield. Slaz started poorly, having to absorb the strength of an attacking Huddersfield team. However, following some strong defensive play, the team to settle and begin to make progress. A breakaway goal from Asad Baig put the team ahead 15 minutes in. This settled the team, and Slaz began to play some more expansive passing hockey in spells. However, Huddersfield continued to be a threat and equalised before half time.

In the second half, Slaz failed to play the self assured hockey of previous weeks, and Huddersfield took advantage of 2 breaks to put themselves in a commanding lead. Tempers frayed and it appeared to be an even larger mountain to climb when Baig was carded and the team were reduced to 10 men to battle on. However, some strong attacking work by Ben Jackson and Ian Hedges, put Captain Ben Graham in to score a brace; 1 from open play, and the second from a penalty flick to equalise the game.

Unfortunately, it was not to be and a defensive error gave Huddersfield a short corner in the final minute from which they took the spoils. Slaz look to get back to form next week with a double header: away at Harrogate and then at home on Sunday in the Cup quarter finals.

Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (4) Sheffield Bankers 5th’s
Slazengers 3s face Sheffield University Bankers in the 4th round of the league. Spirits were high having secured their first win of the season the game before with a 3-2 result against Sheffield Hallam.

Slaz started off quite well pressuring the Sheffield defense with high intensity, however it was Bankers who withstood the pressure, and counter-attacked to score an early goal against the run of play. With Slazengers 1-0 down, they kept on battling, with Tim Carr securing a goal to make it 1-1.

After half time, Slazenger looked to be running low on energy, compounded by star player Mathew Banks sustaining an injury and leaving the visitors with no subs. However, a resurgence of energy saw Slaz pull ahead, with Chris Stevenson netting to make it 2-1.

Sheffield restarted quickly, breaking away to equalise 2-2 with ten minutes to go. With fresher legs and substitutes, Bankers continued to press and were rewarded with 2 goals in 5 minutes as Slaz faded. Man of match went to ‘keeper Harry Buttery, who having only just come back from an injury, pulled off enough saves to keep Slaz in the game.

Men’s 4th’s (1) vs. (4) Leeds Adel 5th’s
Mens 4ths lost 1-4 away to Leeds Adel 5th’s. Slazengers goal came from Davey Ramsdale.

Men’s 5th’s (9) vs. (1) Halifax 5th’s
After 3 consecutive tough weeks Slaz entertained a Halifax team just getting to grips with the transition to adult league hockey. Slaz were eventual winners 9-1 but the score was the least important element of the game. The game was played in the best of spirits, Halifax never gave up and the Slaz boys showed maturity and respect. Goals went to Will Gascoigne (5), Tommy Randle, Fraser Cass and Josh Green (2) who was voted Man of the Match.

Ladies 1st’s (1) vs. (3) Bridlington 1st’s
The ladies first team played Bridlington on Saturday. A game of 2 halves saw Bridlington taking their chances on the break leaving the home team 3:0 down at half time. Slaz came out more determined and structured in the second half. Passing the ball well there were a number of chances created. Slaz broke the second half deadlock with an amazing sweep by Captain Tyrrell sending the ball above the Bridlington keeper into the top corner of the net. Unfortunately the home team were unable to capitalise on their time in the opposition’s D and the final score remained a disappointing 3:1. The ladies take on Lindum in the cup on Sunday before travelling to York next week for a 3:30 push back

Ladies 1st’s/2nd’s Cup Team (3) vs. (1) Lindum 2nd’s
The ladies 1’s and 2’s joined forces on Sunday for the first round of the Yorkshire cup, and both were hoping for their 1st win of the season against Lindum 2’s. Slaz were determined from the start and applied the pressure early with Tyrrell and Field passing it around the Lindum defence to give an early lead. Lindum hit back and tested the Slaz defence but Ritchie and keeper Wilson remained strong. A short corner was fired passed the keeper to put Slaz 2 ahead. Not content with this, a strong cross from Whittam was anticipated by Gilbert the elder and deflected into the top corner.

Half time 3:0 – hurray! With sun in our eyes the second half started a little slower, but the team stayed strong and after much time in the attacking half Tyrrell’s aerial shot found Gilbert the elder who batted the ball into the goal, 4:0. Lindum broke late in the day and managed a consolation goal in the closing minutes but Slaz were already celebrating a second round tie which takes us to Thirsk in 2 weeks time.

Ladies 2nd’s (1) vs. (3) Colne Valley 1st’s
Slaz 2’s entered the game against local team Colne Valley with a positive mental attitude. The team are starting to adapt to playing with a greatly changed squad from the prior season and a new formation to suit a forward and midfield heavy team. The first half was well fought with some great defensive and attacking play by Slaz. The squad looked composed on the ball, with all team members working hard both dropping in defence and pushing up in attack. Short corners were well defended and stopped a number of potential scoring opportunities for Colne Valley. There were a couple of great opportunities for Slaz in the first half, notably a great piece of break away play that unfortunately, the forwards were unable to convert. At half time the score stood at 1-0 to Colne Valley. There were some great passages of play and the team entered half time positively, with the performance being a massive improvement on the previous week.

In the second half the team continued to work hard in warm conditions, unfortunately allowing Colne Valley to break during a turnover and the score stood at 2-0. The team kept pushing, spending a lot of time in the opposition 23 and soon this paid off, with a right slip from the P spot by Tuscany to Lucy, forcing an error by Valley and the score stood at 2-1 with 3 minutes remaining. A last push by Slaz was however, not enough with Colne Valley securing and converting a short corner in the final minute of the game. Final score 3-1, but on the whole a massively improved performance by the team and a great morale booster at this point in the season. Player of the match went to Alex, opposition player to Lucy.

Ladies 3rd’s (11) vs. (0) Leeds University 8th’s
Slazenger’s Ladies 3s traveled to north east Leeds for a fixture which saw top of the table Slazenger’s pitted against bottom of the table Leeds University 8s. The first 5 mins of the match quickly highlighted that it was due to be a game that would be dominated by the visitors. Early pressure saw Slazenger’s take the lead after only 5 minutes with a penalty corner after a number of previous attempts were thwarted by the Leeds keeper. The first half followed the same pattern as the first 5 minutes with numerous attempts from the Slazenger’s forwards, 3 of which were rewarded to take Slazenger’s 4-0 leaders into the half time break, although Leeds were grateful to their keeper for not allowing it to have been doubled by half time. The Slazenger’s defence were untested and the Slazenger’s keeper had no touch of the ball throughout the first half.

The second half continued in the same vain with constant attack by Slazenger’s, Leeds managed to enter the Slazenger’s ‘D’ once with keeper Beth Prince having her first and only touch of the ball. But Slazenger’s increased their goal tally with a further 7 goals making the final score 11-0; 5 goals going to Caroline Schofield, 3 to Aleks Karpinska, 2 to Lauren Fealy and 1 to Natasha Wiper. Joint player if the match went to Caroline Schofield and Lauren Fealy. The end result meant Slazenger’s Ladies 3 maintain their position at the top of the table and cemented Leeds University 8 place firmly at the bottom.

Ladies 4th’s (2) vs. (6) Wakefield 5th’s
The ladies 4th teams winning streak is over. Facing Wakefield’s 5th team at home the sun was shining and the team were hopeful but it wasn’t to be. Wakefield started strong and within 10 minutes scored their first goal but it was only after they scored twice more that Slazengers Cherry Bedford pulled one back. At half time the ladies left the pitch 3-1 down but came back out determined and made some good runs but couldn’t prevent Wakefield pushing through the defence. Wakefield were first to score again and despite a further goal from Cherry, Slazengers lost 6-2. Player Sue Hope.

Men’s 1st’s (3) vs. (2) Sheffield Uni Bankers 4th’s
With the merest hint of a tear in the eye Slazenger First Eleven took to the field on Saturday for veteran Philip ‘safe hands’ Midgley’s last game. In contrast the visiting Sheffield Bankers side were brimming with youthful university exuberance, and numbers! Slazenger however were the first side to open the scoring with a spell of tenacious play by Harry Gunning setting up James Swindon to score. Although this early lead was soon cut short when Sheffield capitalised on some weak midfield marking by the Firsts. A trademark short corner rocket from Tuddenham netted the second and ensured that Slazenger remained in the lead going into halftime.

The second half was a more structured affair from Slazenger, further quality play from man of the match James Swindon alongside notable play from man of the moment Midgley, ensured that as Sheffield lost their heads Slazenger didn’t. The Firsts demonstrated great composure amidst a barrage of stick tackles to finish the game with a 3 – 2 win.

Men’s 2nd’s (1) vs. (1) Leeds 6th’s
Slazengers mens 2’s faced a double header at the weekend, both games against Leeds.

Saturdays away game ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to an excellent Slazengers goal from Chris Gascoigne and a deflected equalizer for Leeds. Slazengers pressed hard and tested the Leeds keeper on a number of occasions but couldn’t get the all important 2nd goal. It was left to the Slazengers defence to hold out at the end when Leeds forced a couple of penalty corners which they held firm to secure a drawer.

Men’s 2nd’s (4) vs. (3) Leeds 6th’s (CUP)
Sunday saw Leeds come to Slazenger in the cup and a few tired legs from the day before led to more goals throughout. Slazenger were in control leading 4-1 midway through the 2nd half thanks to 2 goals apiece for Ben Jackson and Asad Baig only for Leeds to mount a late fightback. They brought it back to 4-3 but couldn’t find the equaliser as Slazenger held out for the win. Josh Dunstan, Owen Bland and James Armitage all stepped up well considering they had played a tournament that morning.

Men’s 3rd’s (3) vs. (2) Sheffield Hallam 6th’s
Slazenger’s 3rd team hosted what looked to be an experienced Sheffield Lineup. However, the lads were still feeling optimistic even without their key player in midfield Matt ‘the legend’ Banks. #GreenArmy went 1-0 down to start with in what looked to be a tough first half, but just before the break Johnson produced a powerful driving ball into the D for Haigh who elegant put the ball into the back of the net to take them into the half 1 a piece.

In the second half, Slaz started to gain a lot more possession of the ball which led to a short corner. Some skilful passing from Perry, Gascoigne and Carruthers ended up with a well deserved 2nd goal for the greens and also Haigh. The clock was ticking on and slaz ended up conceding a 2nd to take the score to 2-2.

With the boys having so many chances and lots of possession they couldn’t settle for 1 point. So new man Hyde stepped up and slotted away a 3rd goal for the greens which sealed all 3 points for slaz. Game finished 3-2 and (the new legend in midfield and also new top goal scorer) Sam Haigh took man of the match.

Men’s 4th’s
Match Postponed – Rotherham unable to raise a team.

Mens 5th’s (1) vs. (1) City of York 9th’s
Slazenger 5’s travelled to York, giving debuts to Lewis Killey and Aaron Hunter and fielding a generally young side. That said the quailyty of hockey in the first half was outstanding from Slaz, applying long periods of pressure, but again no goals. HT 0-0.

The second half started with the adults taking the blame. Captain Keith shuffled the line-up putting some players out of their comfort zone, resulting on York pressure, then Dene Minchella broke early at a penalty corner, the re-take resulting in a York goal. But Slaz are resilient, reverted to the usual formation, applied pressure and it resulted in an outstanding goal by Man of the Match Alex Stacey.

Final Score York 1-1 Slazenger 5’s

Ladies 1st’s (2) vs. (3) Leeds Adel 2nd’s
A strong start from the determined Slaz side, pressure on the Adel defence was amazing. however a quick turn ended with a short corner leaving slaz 1-0 down. A quick and sharp burst from Charlotte Gunn and short pass to Alex Gilbert quickly levelled to 1-1. Further pressure cause the elder and more wrinkly Gilbert to quickly net again to gain the lead. With Half time approaching Adel broke through the strong defence equalising at 2-2.

The second half saw Slaz dominate from the off. With the majority of the half in the Adel D, with too many chances to mention. However an unlucky break through left Slaz with 3-2 loss, in the last dying minute of the game. Man of match -Mollie GIlbert; Tart-Katie Minchella. Report by Katie minchella

Ladies 2nd’s (1) vs. (6) Thirsk 2nd’s
After 2 tough away fixtures to start the season Slaz ladies 2s were looking forward to a home fixture in the hope that a game on home soil would break their run of bad luck. Thirsk were the visitors and Slaz thought this would be a more evenly matched game than the previous 2 which would see their goal difference improve and put at least a point on the table. However this wasn’t to be.

Slaz started out strong as usual and had ample chances in the Thirsk D that unfortunately could not be converted, including a chip from Tuscany that bounced off the crossbar to go out of play. There was plenty for Slaz to do defensively and keeper Lizzie Tunstall made some excellent saves including a tremendous stick save to push the ball wide of the post. It was Thirsk who took the lead however when a loose ball was pushed across the line.

Slaz equalised shortly after with a goal from Tuscany and the home side remained confident but 2 further goals from the visitors before half time meant there was more to do in the second half.

Slaz continued to work hard and battled for another 35 minutes but struggled to keep possession. Thirsk were quick with their turnovers and counter attacks and Slaz could not keep the opposition out of their danger area resulting in a further 3 goals being conceded.

Ladies 3rd’s (3) vs. (2) Halifax 5th’s
Slazenger Ladies 3s welcomed Halifax for an early morning pushback in their first home game of the season. Slazenger were hoping to add another 3 points to the tally with a relatively unchanged side from their victory at Huddersfield dragons the week before.

The match began positively with Slazenger putting early pressure on the Halifax defence, with the Halifax keeper showing early on that she would be a tough obstacle for the Slazenger attack to overcome. As the first half passed, Slazenger suffered setbacks with defender Sarah Hobbs and centre forward Caro Schofield both pulling up, limiting their usual prowess. Slazengers were further knocked back when Halifax penetrated the defence to score 2 goals from open play.

The second half saw Slazenger put pressure on the Halifax defence, determined not to give up the battle, and forcing the Halifax keeper to make a number of good saves. However a further injury to forward Natasha Wiper, which saw her have to leave the pitch for a split eye, began to dash the hopes that Slazenger were to make any come back.

Natasha Wiper made an unexpected return to the pitch with only 15 minutes to go and with Slazenger 2 goals down. Slazenger continued to press forward, and dominate the play. They were rewarded when Natasha Wiper found herself in free space and she slotted the ball home. A second goal followed in quick succession which was again put away by Natasha Wiper. Now with a victory in their sights, Slazenger continued the momento, and continued to press, the ball found it’s way into the D again, and again onto the stick of Wiper who smashed it against the backboard to complete the hat trick and give Slazenger the victory. A great come back for Slazenger with player of the match deservedly and unarguably going to Natasha Wiper.

Ladies 4th’s (4) vs. (3) University of Leeds 7th’s
Slazengers ladies 4th team. 3 games – 3 wins! Playing away against University of Leeds 7’s, Slazengers looked the stronger team for the outset. Sue Hope created several opportunities upfront but surprisingly Leeds were first to score. In response, Linda Stacey pushed the team forward and took her opportunity to equalise.

Maisie Davis scored soon after, leaving Slazengers 2:1 up but Leeds University came back fighting and, despite several good saves from new keeper Lauren Hattersley, Leeds scored again. 2:2 at half time.

Slazenger returned from half time confident they could win despite the increasing rain and wind. Captain, Julie Bailey found the goal and put the Slazenger team in the lead again. However much the same as the first half, Leeds came back again to score. With 10 minutes to go, Mia Davis was finally rewarded for her efforts and took the last goal of the game. 4:3 to Slazenger. Player – Julie Bailey.

Mens 1st’s (2) vs. (0) Thirsk and Malton 1st’s
Mens 1st’s traveled to Thirsk and Malton 1st’s for a 4:30pm fixture. Goals were scored by Richard Tuddenham (2).

Mens 2nds (5) vs. (2) Thirsk and Malton 2nd’s
Slazengers men’s 2nd team entertained Thirsk 2’s on Saturday and ran our 5-2 winners thanks to 4 goals from Asad Baig and 1 from captain Ben Graham. Thirsk started brightly and for the 1st 10 minutes were the better side with the Slazengers defence and keeper having to work hard to keep them out. Baig scored his first against the run of play when a fast break and good lifted finish beat the Thirsk back line. Slazengers continued to press and grabbed a 2nd through Baig just before the break.

Slazengers started the 2nd half knowing the 1st goal would be crucial and took their lead to 3-0 when Graham converted a penalty corner. To give Thirsk credit they bounced back with 2 quick goals, both saw deflections deceive Buttery in goal however some excellent right wing play from Ben Jackson with a couple of assists allowed Baig to complete the scoring. Slazengers will look to build on a promising result away at Leeds on Saturday.

Mens 3rd’s (0) vs. (13) Chapeltown 2nd’s
It was a warm Saturday afternoon when most of us managed to turn up on time. It would be reasonable of me to say we were all going into the match with confidence, despite a cold defeat at Huddersfield the week previous, and I’m glad to say that our confidence never dropped during the match despite the hard loss.

After the coin flipped, the match was underway. Slazenger had the upper hand it seemed as we had won the toss, it soon changed when the Chapeltown midfield immediately shut down our midfield and took control of the game. The opposing side seemed to have a plan from the first touch of the ball, to maintain composure in their team and spread the ball around the pitch keeping in shape. Their first goal came early in the game, after a few good saves from Adam, there was not much he was able to do after he had already been the hardest- working player on that pitch so far. After another good few saves from our keeper, there was not much he could do, wherever the ball seemed to go, the boys in burgundy were their too.

Unfortunately in the second half, the team were still not able create a goal. The second half had ended 5-0 to Chapeltown, totaling 13-0. There were a lot of positives to take from that game. No matter the score we are all able to look forward, and can take on the new division. Unfortunately, Jack Lee earned man of the match which is why he had to write this match report.

Mens 4th’s (4) vs. (1) Bradford 4th’s
Slaz 4s look to avenge their heavy loss last week as they traveled to Bradford. Slaz had the early momentum as much of the first ten minutes was played inside the Bradford half and resulting in early chances including a short corner attempt from Josh Swallow. The away side broke the deadlock as a quickly taken free hit from captain Danny Croxall resulted in a great assist from the right for Peter Gunning. The pressure continued to build as further goals from Josh Swallow and a second for Gunning meant Slaz were leading 3-0 at halftime.

In the second half Bradford came out strong as they looked to get a goal. Eventually Bradford scored from a short corner strike to make it 3-1. Slaz responded immediately as a second from Josh Swallow after finishing off a brilliant move started by himself made the score 4-1. The game was put in doubt when Slaz had to wave off some pressure from Bradford at the end but Slaz came out the winners at full time.

Man of the match was Peter Gunning after his two goals and special mentions go to Josh Swallow for great battling to finish with two goals and Danny Croxall for controlling the midfield through his passing game and distribution. Next week Slaz entertain Rotherham 3s at 4.30 and also Wakefield in the cup on Sunday.

Mens 5th’s (0) vs. (0) Ben Rhydding 7th’s
A refreshed and renewed Men’s Development side entertained a Ben Rhydding 7’s side. Defensive efforts were back to normal, not only shutting the opposition out but defending high up the pitch and generating extended periods of pressure. Chances went to many, almost everyone putting the effort in to get penetration into the circle, but BR’s adult keeper played out of his (aged) skin to continually deny Slazengers’ young tigers. Man of the Match was Lucas Smith, returning after a year of serious injuries. Final score 0-0.

Ladies 1st’s (2) vs. (4) Harrogate 2nd’s
Slazenger’s had a slow and scrappy start to their game against Harrogate. Possession was back and forth but unfortunately Slaz conceded 3 goals.

The second half started much better, with Holly Tyres scoring and lifting Slaz’s spirits further. Another goal from Frankie Tyrrell shortly followed. Slaz were battling hard, 1 goal down but Harrogate scored one last goal in the final few minutes. Final score 4-2 to Harrogate.

Ladies 2nd’s (0) vs. (5) Harrogate 4th’s
With a new formation and a young team, Slaz were ready for a high energy game against Harrogate. Immediately attacking hard, Slaz stopped any attempt from the opposition to get into the Slaz half. Efforts were then rewarded by an early goal by Lucy putting Slaz ahead. Harrogate then stepped up their game and responded with a goal from open play which was struck in the D and deflected by the Slaz captain passed keeper Minchella who would have otherwise had the shot covered. Another Harrogate goal just before half time was disallowed but the home side got another chance before the half time whistle leaving the half time score a respectable 2-1 against the visitors.

In the second half, Slaz again had some good chances which led to an amazing strike by Tuscany hitting the backboard but this was also disallowed due to her foot being just millimetres outside of the D. Despite strong presses by Slaz, they were unable respond to the quick change in play, allowing a strong Harrogate to penetrade the Slaz D and earn numerous penalty corners from forced errors. Harrogate took advantage of the set pieces with powerful strikes from the top of the D. The Slaz defence held strong and managed to keep out a their fair share of PC attempts from Harrogate but 2 found their way into the goal. One of the shorts ended in a scuffle on the goal line which found a Slaz foot for a penalty flick. to the Gate. Michella, who had made some amazing saves throughout the game got a toe to it but could manage to knock it wide of the post, meaning the score was now 5-1.

However, with the opposition tiring, Slaz’s young legs proved advantageous with Amy storming through midfield to get the ball into the D, where it found Tuscany who calmly hit the ball passed Harrogate’s keeper. Slaz remained strong and put up a good fight but were unable to convert any more goals, finishing with the score at 5-2.

Ladies 3rd’s (1) vs. (0) Huddersfield Dragons 3rd’s
Huddersfield Dragons hosted Slazenger’s ladies 3s at Lockwood Park. With this being Slazenger ladies first game of the season and they where hungry for a win. Slazenger won the toss and started off strong and dominated from the start; Slazenger taking the first attempts at scoring, but it wasn’t too be with the Huddersfield Dragons keeper making some great saves. Dragons made a break and a hasty attack down the field toward the Slazenger’s defence. A one on one situation in the ‘D’ saw Lizzie Tunstall having to make a slide and save to get the ball. Unfortunately, this resulted in the umpiring giving a penalty flick against Slazenger’s. However, Lizzie was ready for this and a save from her stick saw the score say as nil all.

Slazenger’s upped their game and passing the ball back down to the attacking end of the pitch, with numerous attempts from Caro Schofield, Natasha Wiper, Lauren Fealy, Josie Hughes on goal and a short corner unfortunately going wide of the goal. Another attack from Dragons, however with good defending from Sarah Hobbs, Esther Hill and Jess Downing this wasn’t going to result in any goals for Dragons. The ball was quickly taken back up the pitch by the mid field Emily Entwistle, Justine Birkett and Natasha Wiper. Half time score 0-0.

Second half saw Slazenger’s coming out on the attack again, with numerous attempts on goal. A short corner was given and with Sarah Hobbs positioned to take the strike, the goal went in, unfortunately it was disallowed for being too high. This did not stop the determination of the Slazenger’s attack. A second short corner given, just as the ball hit the back boards. Short corner taken by Caro Schofield, unfortunately it went wide of the post. Dragons made an attack on the Slazenger’s defence with a few shots on goal and two short corners. Slazenger’s defended strongly and pasted the ball back up the pitch to be awarded with a short corner. Sarah Hobbs stepped up again and completed with a goal. Dragons made a last minute attack on the Slazenger’s mid field and defence, but this wasn’t to be, as the whistle was blown for full time. Player went to Emily Entwistle

Ladies 4th’s (2) vs. (1) Leeds Adel 5th’s
Slazengers ladies 4th team played Leeds Adel 5’s at home with a great mix of juniors, experienced and back to hockey players. The game remained 0:0 at half time although Adel scored very shortly after. In response, Slazenger equalised with a goal from Cherry Bedford and was quickly followed by Mia Davis, earning her player of the match. Two games, two wins.

Mens 1st’s (6) vs. (9) Rotherham 1st’s
It would be fair to say that elements of Slazenger’s men’s first eleven have had a relaxing summer this year. Add to this a pretty informal set of pre-season friendly’s, and the competitive opening of the 2017/18 season was always going to be an uphill affair.

The firsts were away to old friends Rotherham at their freshly re-laid Arora pitch. Fresh however would not be a pertinent adjective to describe the first phase of the game for Slazenger. Some lacklustre defensive play allowed Rotherham to capitalise on well-practiced routines that put them three goals up within ten minutes. A little shell shocked Slazenger made a quick call to adjust the formation, it appeared to work, Slazenger pulled one back.

By half time the Firsts had put a couple past the Rotherham keeper and the game was starting to look a little more balanced. That was until Mark Swindon was sent off during half time by Rotherham’s familiar 4th official for answering the call of nature.

Determined not to be affected by this odd set of events Slazenger actually came out strong in the second half. A couple of ‘sitters’ went begging for Danny Perry and Chris Gascoigne, but other than this the teams traded goal for goal for the next 35 minutes of what most have been a great spectator half of hockey!

There were strong performances from Harry Gunning and the Swindon brothers, but In the end Slazenger were unable to pull back the deficit put in place during the first ten minutes of the game. The final score was Slaz First’s 6 Rotherham 9.

Mens 2nds (3) vs. (5) Rotherham 2nd’s
Mens 2nd’s opened their league account with a tough encounter with visitors Rotherham 2nds. Unfortunately with a couple of key players missing and only a bare 11 for their first game, it was going to be hard work from the outset. However Slaz started the brighter, and without some strong goalkeeping work from the Rotherham goalie, would have been several goals to the good within the first 20 minutes. In the end however, a scrappy goal defeated him, with Ben “the touch” Jackson putting the ball in off a deflection to put Slaz 1-0 up at half time.

The second half would prove to be the undoing of the team however. With Rotherham fighting back into the game, the match was drawn level at 2-2; Jackson netting his second, amid the team playing some flowing attacking hockey. However when new midfielder Mark Hammond was taken out of the game with a pulled hamstring and unable to run, the team were effectively down to 10 men. While the team put on a strong performance, and Hammond himself netted a third, it wasn’t enough to stop a visibly resurgent Rotherham from equalising with a third, and netting twice more to take the result. A good game with some promising performances including newcomers Owen Bland, James Armitage and Josh Dunstan, and with a full squad, the 2nds look promising for the seasons campaign.

Mens 3rd’s (1) vs. (3) Huddersfield 3rd’s
The start of the new season didn’t only see the return of the man, the myth, and the legend called Matt Banks but also the whole of his top dogs Slazenger 3rd team looking to challenge in a new league. The first game saw Matt’s army travel to Huddersfield where they looked like Spartan warriors up for the challenge. The first whistle went and the “we are warriors” training clearly was showing as every single Slazenger player chased and harassed their opponents however despite the hard work it was Huddersfield who stole a march and scored the first goal Slazenger didn’t let their heads go down and soon found themselves with a short corner.

From this short corner the legend received the ball at the top of the D slipped past a defender like a ninja in the night before drilling the ball past a hopeless and lost goalkeeper to square things up. The new look midfield was starting to find its feet with Fisher, Legend, and Sam starting to gain control with Tom and Dan working the wings well, unfortunately just before half time Huddersfield caught a lucky break and went into the half 2-1 up. In the second half captain choo-choo carried on running from deep even when his evil opponent held onto his stick even after Si asked him to let go.

As slazenger continued to push and challenge all over the pitch a clearance from Matt “Legend” Banks out to Roo on the wing set up a quick counter that nearly had Tim equalling for slazenger however the ball was just cleared off the line. Slazenger continued to push for the the equaliser when against the run of play Huddersfield got a 3rd goal. However despite going down Slazenger continued to work hard with Man of the Match Matt Banks covering every inch of the pitch, unfortunately the luck was not with the army and the 3rds went down in their first game of the season however the spirit of the team is what will ensure the team will survive this new league

Mens 4th’s (1) vs. (6) Halifax 4th’s
Slaz entered a new season by hosting Halifax 4s. The early encounters were very even as both teams looked to make their mark in midfield. Eventually the deadlock was broken as Darren Buttery scored a brilliant breakaway goal for the hosts. Halifax quickly responded by equalising and adding a further two to go in at half time 3-1 up. The second half was much of the same story as Halifax put the Slaz defence under a lot of pressure which finally resulted in another 3 goals to finish 6-1.

Man of the match went to Tom Hoyle for a superb effort in midfield. Next week Slaz travel to Bradford at 12.00.

Mens 5th’s (1) vs. (11) Thirsk Development
Once upon a time the Handsome Prince, Snow White and nine Dwarfs went to Thirsk…….. Tyler was a bit Sneezy, Amrayz was Dopey, Alex was Sleepy, Will was Bashful, Keith got Grumpy, but in the end everyone was Happy, not least because no one needed Doc. Ben Mace was shining star. Final curtain was 11-1 to Thirsk.

Ladies 1st’s (2) vs. (2) Brigg 1st’s
Following on from their 8-1 thrashing of Airedale the previous week, Slazengers made a steady start to league campaign. Despite some cracking shots on goal, Slazengers couldn’t seem to score. In the last minute of the first half, Brigg were awarded a short corner and the first half finished 1-0 to Brigg.

Slaz started the 2nd half determined but Brigg came in with an early goal. 2-0 down, Slaz were spurred on by the growing home crowd. An amazing top corner goal from Hannah Field, lifted Slaz’s spirits. This was then shortly followed by another goal from captain, Frankie Tyrrell. There were a few more opportunities for Slazengers, but the game ended 2-2.

Ladies 2nds (0) vs. (5) Leeds 3rd’s
The first match of the new season for Slaz ladies 2nd team was a 3pm away fixture with push-back delayed due to previous games running over. With a new captain and some changes to the squad, including the loss of key central midfielder Sue Hope, and the introduction of youngsters Lucy Brereton and Tori Hanson, it was always going to be difficult to foresee how the first fixture would go.

However Slaz looked good from the outset, moving the ball around the opposition and playing well on and off the ball. Presses were well worked, cutting out options for Leeds and the visitors had ample opportunities denied. When Leeds broke the Slaz midfield and defence held strong clearing the danger and stand in keeper Katie Minchella made some impressive saves. Unfortunately with a minute to go before half time the deadlock was broken and the 2s were behind.

Slaz remained positive at the start of the second half that they were still in with a chance however a well drilled and fast paced Leeds team managed to score another 4 before the final whistle, despite the Slaz ladies’ sterling efforts and further saves from Minchella.

Sources say based on their summer recruitment and pre-season results, Leeds are expected to finish in the top 2, however despite the result there were plenty of positives to bring from the game.

Ladies 4ths (2) vs. (1) Doncaster 4th’s
The ladies 4th team made an excellent start to the season with a 2:1 win away against Doncaster 4’s.

Slazengers dominated much of the first half with a strong midfield and defence which allowed the team to push forward and take several shots on goal. With a goal being disallowed in the first half, the 0:0 scoreline at half time didn’t reflect their efforts.

Doncaster started the second half stronger and 5 minutes in, went on to score the first goal of the game but the Slazenger team came back fighting and within minutes Cherry Bedford, one of three juniors joining the senior team for the first time and voted player of the match, scored off a superb cross from another new junior, Maisie Davis. Along with Mia Davis, the three juniors worked hard up front and Slazengers took control of the game again. Caro Schofield deserved Slazengers second goal and the team left with a 2:1 win.

Attention all coaches, helpers, and interested peoples!

Building on the success of last weeks coach development course, the club will be running a training course next Sunday (24th September) between 11am and 1pm for people interested in helping out with club coaching.

The course will be run by our new Lead Coach and is perfect for anyone who is currently helping with coaching, interested in getting involved with coaching in future, or helping with the junior section.

We’re especially looking for parents, junior coaches and helpers to come along, so we can keep improving the coaching we deliver across the club.

For anyone who wants to be registered on the course, please email clubhouse@slazengerhc.co.uk with your name.