Men’s 1st’s (3) vs. (5) City of York 2nd’s
Slazenger’s Men’s 1s travelled to York on Saturday in hopes of keeping up their positive start to the season against York 2s. From the first passages of play, Slazenger imposed themselves on the game and looked composed on the ball. Owing to their quick start – and an early goal from Christopher Gascoigne – Slazenger found themselves with a deserved lead. However, Slazenger were pegged back to 1-1 when keeper Andy Loftus was given a 5 minute green card and defensive stalwart Adam Drake uncharacteristically missed a straight one into Slaz’s penalty area.
Regardless, Slazenger kept their calm and pulled ahead once more before half time through the incisive attacking play of Asad Baig and Amar Khalil setting up Gascoigne for his second. Slazenger created more chances, including an impressive reverse stick strike from Jordan Ingham, but couldn’t capitalise further. Nevertheless, they entered the half-time interval looking strong at 2-1 up.
Unfortunately, Slaz could not maintain their lead and, through a handful of defensive lapses and contentious officiating, ended up finding themselves undeservedly behind for the first time in the game. Despite never regaining the lead, Slazenger can take a lot of positives from a strong away performance that merited greater rewards. The final score was 5-3 to York. Special mentions go to Emmett Fearn for yet another enterprising and tireless performance at left back and young debutant Oliver Leonard who showed great composure and skill in what will surely be his first appearance of many.
Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (1) Barnsley 1st’s
Slaz took the short trip down to Barnsley for a local derby of sorts. The game was scrappy from the off, with both sides struggling to find rhythm on the bumpy pitch. However, as time went on, the 2nd’s began to play some progressive hockey, winning a short corner which was converted by Richard Tuddenham to put the visiting side ahead.
Slaz had sections of play which were their strongest of the season so far, with Jack Mumford and Skipper Ste Roberts coordinating play. Any attacking from Barnsley was tidied up through Matt Green at the back, with Keith Leonard outstanding at half and mopping up any Barnsley attacks. Minutes before the halftime whistle went, Slaz won a second short corner. A clever one-two with Ben Graham gave Tuddenham a clear strike on goal to put Slaz 2-0 up at the break.
The second half showcased some of the best hockey Slaz had played this season, and when an atrocious tackle saw Barnsley reduced to 10 men, Slaz capitalised, going close several times. Finally, Ian Hedges’ cross found Jack Sumner to tap in at the back post.
Barnsley was able to take advantage of some favourable umpiring decisions to convert a short corner for a consolation goal. Slaz continued to have the stronger game into the final whistle. A breakaway attack by Ian Hedges setup Jack Mumford for a one on one with the goalkeeper. It looked all but scored, until the final whistle conveniently went, saving Barnsley’s blushes.
A solid 3-1 victory which the 2nd’s will look to take into the next game against Doncaster 4th’s.
Men’s 3rd’s (4) vs. (1) Ben Rhydding 5th’s
The Man’s 3rd’s travelled to Ben Rhydding for a 10:30 game against the Ilkley side, coming away with a fantastic 4-1 victory which lifts them to 3rd in the league. Pressure from the 3rds gave them a stong start to the game, allowing them to win several penalty corners. Frustratingly, Slaz were unable to convert the pressure into goals. It wasn’t until James Swinden stepped up before the half time to convert a corner that Slaz began to score goals.
In the second half, Slaz scored at regular intervals; Skipper Damian Greig netted, followed by Trevor Armitage, and Scott Carruthers. The only disappointment was a late consolation goal for Ben Rhydding which denied Aiden Coughtrey from a deserved clean sheet. Slaz look to take their 4 game unbeaten run into a traditionally exciting away derby at Wakefield on Saturday.
Men’s 4th’s (3) vs. (0) Huddersfield Dragons 4
The 4s travelled away to Huddersfield for a late 4.30 pushback full of confidence after defeating Boston Spa the week before. The weather didn’t dampen the boys spirits after getting thoroughly soaked through for the 15 minutes before the match. The stand in Skipper (Meeson) won the toss and decided to take the pushback much to the dismay of the team as the sun had now made an appearance and was shining directly into the teams eyes’. Slaz started positively, controlling much of the possession and threatening with several balls and runs into the D, however with scuffed and wide shots they couldn’t produce a goal. As the half wore on, Slaz continued their efforts culminating with a shot into the goal from Roo which was deemed to be a backstick and disallowed by the Huddersfield umpires. Half time 0-0.
The second half started and Slaz had a shaky 5 minutes with some misplaced passes and running into contact resulting in some attacks from Huddersfield that were quickly stifled by the Slaz Defence. After that 5 minutes normal service resumed and Slaz continued to create chances. James Walker scored the first goal with a well hit strike from the edge of the D into the bottom left corner of the goal. This was shortly followed up by another well worked team goal, again finished by Moog, that started from the Slazenger defence with the ball worked well all the way up the pitch. At this point in proceedings the weather was beginning to turn again and with leaves, wind, hail and rain all battering the pitch and the players, the umpires made the decision to halt proceedings for a few minutes while the weather passed, with the Huddersfield captain suggesting they were happy to call it a day and award us the win.
However the weather cleared up quickly and play continued for the last 12 minutes. By this point the age of the Huddersfield team was showing and Slaz were winning key battles through all areas of the pitch especially in the midfield and chances were coming a plenty. New player James R took this time to practice his shooting by hooking a shot well wide narrowly avoiding a few heads. Andy Birkett decided this was his time to get involved and put in a third goal that trickled past the Hudds Keeper (Roo has informed me since they all count and doesn’t matter if it was a keeper error). Hudds decided they wanted at least a consolation goal and began to attack the Slaz defence winning some short corners and having a few shots on target which made keeper Darren Saxton actually have something to do, other than get soaked. Karl Ashford decided this was his time to contribute to the game with a few back sticks in the Slaz D resulting in more short corners, which resulted in him taking a shot to the wrist. The last action of the game was a short corner to Hudds which was defended strongly by Slaz resulting in a 3-0 win!
Development Team (0) vs, (2) Rotherham
The development team travelled to Rotherham for their most recent fixture. Unfortunately, they fell 2-0 to a stronger side, who capitalised on their opportunities.
Ladies 1st’s (3) vs. (1) Leeds Adel 2nd’s
In an intense clash against Adel L2s, Slazenger L1s secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory, despite being down key players and needing to shuffle their line-up. Debutant Amelia Sykes made her first appearance, slotting into the team as they adapted to new positions to combat the absences. Hannah Field, though visibly frustrated throughout the match, contributed to the overall team effort. Slazenger’s defence, as solid as ever, withstood Adel’s early pressure, setting the foundation for their attacking opportunities. The breakthrough came from none other than Jessica Rudge, who calmly slotted home the opener in a 1v1 with the keeper after a composed run.
The second half saw Frankie Tyrrell showcase her vision, scanning the field under the harsh sun before spotting Rudge once more. Her pinpoint pass threaded through a sea of Adel defenders found Rudge in the D, where she unleashed a stunning tomahawk shot to make it 2-1. The final blow came from Emma Williams, crowned Player of the Match, who delivered a ferocious strike that nearly knocked the Adel keeper off her feet before finding the back of the net, sealing the 3-1 victory.
Marissa was named Tart of the Match, after not channeling her inner Usain Bolt quick enough, but the team’s combined effort, resilience, and clinical finishing ensured a well-earned win. A brilliant team performance, with plenty of promise moving forward, especially with new talent like Sykes joining the ranks.
Ladies 2nd’s (4) vs. (1) Acomb 1st’s
The ladies 2s were back at home this week, hoping to build on a fantastic start to the season. Ultimately, another win keeps the 2nd’s at the top of the table after 5 games. Slaz started out of the blocks quickly, Lou Haigh getting early strikes on goal, making the Acomb keeper work hard. The early pressure paid off, Haigh winning a short corner from a thunderous strike which Ni Frith calmly slotted home for the first of her two goals.
Being 1-0 up within the first 5 minutes, Slaz played with lots of confidence, Nikki playing with the 2s for the first time this season instantly gelling with those around her playing some lovely 1-2s working it around the defence. Haigh continued to be a constant menace to the Acomb keeper, peppering her goal at every opportunity. And just over mid way through the first half she got her rewards, scoring with a perfectly placed reverse shot. A matter of minutes later, Slaz converted another short corner, this time Stacey Drake took ownership at the top of the D and powered the ball passed the keeper.
Despite Slaz taking a 3-0 lead, Acomb tried to mount plenty of attacks, but the constant pressure of Countey and Ruby in the Slaz midfield made life uncomfortable for Acomb allowing Andrea Wallace to pick up many loose balls, distributing them beautifully around the pitch. Any time Acomb did manage to penetrate the Slaz D the defence were cleverly able to force them wide. And Erin Haigh was was quick off her line smothering any shots. Having opened the scoring early in the half, Ni rounded off the half with her second of the game, from yet another short corner.
Slaz worked hard to protect the 4 goal cushion in the second half. Erin was super vocal from the back, organising everyone in front of her and the defence of Gemma, Rebecca and Michelle worked hard to limit Acombs chances. Erin’s goal was put under major threat when Acomb were awarded a flick. However, continuing her great form from the match, Erin pulled off a wonderful save! Acomb were trying to build pressure, but Slaz were able to relieve that pressure, Lucy carrying the ball clear, making powerful runs, having the Acomb defence chasing her down. Annoyingly for Slaz, they were not able to get the clean sheet this week, with Acomb scoring a consolation goal late in the game. This was a great game for the ladies 2s. Well umpired by Tracey and Zoe. Player of the match- Erin for a great commanding game in goal, making lots of saves throughout the game and saving a flick.
Ladies 3rd’s (2) vs. (1) City of York 4th’s
In a thrilling encounter, Slazenger 3’s edged out York 4’s with a final score of 2-1, showcasing resilience and skill throughout the match. Slazenger opened the scoring utilising a well-executed short corner routine with Mia Davies providing the finishing touch. Slazenger took that score into half time. The second half saw York ramping up the pressure, but Slazengers defence was solid. Goalkeeper Lauren was instrumental in preserving the lead, earning herself the Player of the Match award for her outstanding saves. Defenders Lucy and Ritchtea both made critical line saves.
Slazenger doubled their lead with a powerful straight strike from a penalty corner by Zoe. Celebrating as hard as her shot had been, thrilled at scoring against her former club Zoe solidified their advantage at 2-0. York fought back fiercely, eventually scoring to make it 2-1 however despite York’s persistent efforts, Slazenger maintained their composure, ultimately securing the 2-1 victory.
Ladies 4th’s (1) vs. (0) Cleckheaton 1st’s
Slaz took their first win of the season, at home to Cleckheaton. The visitors turned up with a depleted team, and just set up to defend their D. Slaz struggled to break the defence down but created lots of chances with Emma Hammond putting 1 away in the first half. Slaz dominated the possession but couldn’t breach the Cleckheaton defence. Slaz will take the win and 3 points but deserved and wanted much more.
U10 Boys Tournament Match Reports
Game 1 v Bradford 1 (4-1)
There was a strong start by the Slaz boys with a couple of attacks down the right from Alistair but we could not take advantage and the Bradford defence stopped the attacks. There was good defence from both Harry S and Harry R who sent the team forward with good chances for Matthew and Noah. There was a great double save from the Bradford GK who kept the ball out.
A great defensive press from Slaz which turned into attack from Noah and Matthew found Dom on the back post to score the first goal. Harry S and Dylan made great tackles to stop the Bradford attacks and passed the ball through to Matthew who scored nicely from the top D. Bradford were not deterred and got a goal back after a deflected shot went past Jackson, who was making his debut in the Slaz goal. A quick attack from Noah in midfield was finished by Matthew for his 2nd goal and a brilliant reverse flick finish gave Matthew his hat-trick. It was a great start for the team and a brilliant 4-1 win for Slaz.
Game 2 v Ben Rhydding (5-0)
The BR defence was put under pressure from the start with a great press which resulted in Matthew intercepting the ball, driving into the D and sweeping the ball into the net to put Slaz ahead. Harry S made a great block tackle setting Noah off but the BR defence kept the attack out. Another attack from Noah and Harry R whose first shot was saved by the BR GK, but well positioned Dom was quickest to put the ball in the goal. Dylan was strong down the left with some great tackling and passing. Another attack from Matthew and Noah who were linking up well was saved by a great defensive block. Matthew persevered and broke away to slot his 2nd goal past the BR GK. The was some great skill shown by Dom dribbled through the D and found Harry S who scored into the corner of the goal. This was followed by a long corner for Slaz which was was well worked with slick passing from Noah to Harry who found Dom in the D to score his 2nd. It was great 5-0 win for the team and it left Jackson not needing to make a save.
Game 3 vs Halifax (1-0)
This was the toughest game for the boys, but another well organised press from Slaz resulted in Noah intercepting the ball and he found Matthew who finished with a great reverse shot past the Halifax GK. Alistair, who despite being injured, showed his pace attacking down the right with Matthew whose shot went just wide. Harry R made some great tackles to stop the Halifax attacks with support from Harry S. Noah, Dom and Alistair worked hard up and down the pitch, supporting the defence and pushing forward in attack but the chances were denied by Halifax GK who made great saves and cleared by their defence. Halifax made some good breaks but the defence from Harry R and Dylan, along with GK Jackson who made fantastic saves kept the opposition out. More attacks from the Slaz forwards made lots of great chances but they just could not get the ball into the Halifax goal, with Mathew even hitting the post with his strike. It was a tougher game for the team but Slaz played really well as a team and a 1-0 win was well deserved.
Game 4 vs Adel 2 (6-0)
It was a good start by Slaz who began attacking down the right, Alistair found Matthew who drove into the D and slipped the ball to Dom who scored past the Adel GK to start the scoring. Adel made some great tackles to keep further Slaz attacks out but a long corner from Slaz saw Noah drive through and find Matthew to shoot and score. Some great defence from Harry R and Harry S stopped the Adel attacks with Matthew adding another goal for Slaz. A great press from Slaz resulted in Noah finishing with a great shot into the bottom corner. Dom was next and made a great interception, he powered forward but his shot was saved by the Adel GK. Harry R had a great attack with his shot just going wide. Dylan and Harry R were strong in defence together with Jackson staying solid in goal. Matthew made a good run forward and found Dom again who scored his 2nd of the game. Harry S was determined to add his goal tally and picked the ball up on the left wing, drove into the Adel D and scored to make it 6-0 to Slaz.
Game 5 vs Bradford 2 (5-0)
There was another fast start from Matthew and Noah who attacked straight into Bradford D and the Bradford keeper made a great save. Harry S was again determined to score to make a hattrick, he intercepted the ball and was rewarded with his third goal of the tournament. There was another good break for Slaz from Dom, Dylan and Alistair who found Matthew in the D who took the ball round the GK and make it 2-0. Harry R made a great timed tackle setting the ball forward for Matthew to score his 2nd of the game and tenth goal at the tournament. Noah remained solid working hard in both attack and defence. Another fast attack down the right wing by Alistair, who skipped past the defenders with ease and crossed the ball to Dom at the back post who scored. There were some good saves from the Bradford GK who kept Slaz from scoring more. The opposition had a few attacks but the solid defence from Harry R, Dom and Dylan kept the attacks out. More pressure from the team saw Matthew pushing forward from his defensive position and he found Dom at the top of the D who shot and scored into the corner making it his seventh goal of the tournament and ending the game 5-0.
It was a fantastic team performance from everybody today, with some excellent hockey on display and 21 goals! Whilst Jackson was quiet in our last game, he made a fantastic debut and only conceded one goal during the whole tournament. He also helped out other teams and won player of the tournament. Thanks to the parents for their continued support, especially Gemma for umpiring and James for the match report!
U10 Girls Tournament
The U10 girls started their season in Div 1 at Wakefield today, in what was a new look side.
Game 1 vs. York (Scorers: Darcie)
The girls started the tournament against York, the team which would arguably be the toughest we played. We started well and held our own with Ella and Izzy working hard in defence to minimise the York attack. The midfield of Penny, Darcie and Maia worked hard to create attacking opportunities and chances for Sophie, who started the game up front.
York passed the ball around well, which lead to them taking a 1-0 lead after and scramble around our goal. This made us step it up a gear and a great run from Darcie through the midfield, lead to the York keeper to come out and a great shot from Darcie, lofting the ball over the goal keeper, brought the scores to 1-1 with only a few minutes to go. On came Maddison, Savannah and Bridgett to sure and sure up the defence. York continued to press and after another goal mouth scramble scored a 2nd and what proved to be the winner. A great effort by the girls and although it started with a loss of 2-1, there were lots of positives.
Game 2 vs. Ben Rhydding
We then played against Ben Rhydding and were looking to get the first win under our belts. We again dominated the game with Penny and Maia making some great runs down the wings. Ella and Darcie again been menacing, with Ella moving into centre midfield and Darcie back to attack. We had lots of chance although we could not make the pressure count. Maddison, in her new found position was awesome in defence with Izzy, keeping the Ben Rhydding attack at bay. Sophie, Savannah, Bridget also played a big part in making sure we continued to control the game, with Frances hardly having a shot to save, but when called into action, showed composure to clear the ball. Despite our pressure, we could not find the winner and the game finished 0-0.
Game 3 vs. Hull (Scorers: Darcie x 3, Penny x 1)
We then played Hull and looked to dominate from the start. We were by far the stronger side and made the breakthrough with Penny being found on the right of the D and she slotted home from a tight angle. We continued to drive forward with attack after attack and quickly went 3-0 up, with 2 quick fire goals from Darcie. We then looked to play the ball around with all players getting involved, with Ella leading from midfield, Penny, Maia, Savannah and Sophie pushing hard to get create more chances. Another through ball from Ella found Darcie who entered the D and scored her third of the game. There was very little for Izzy, Maddison and Bridget to do at the back, although they did what they needed to do when called upon. Again, not much for Frances to do, but made a couple if key clearances when needed. A great 4-1 win.
Our last game of the day was against Thirsk and we were looking to build upon the 4-1 win in the last game. We started with the same team and Maddison continued her good form, keeping the Thirsk attack at bay, whilst Izzy work hard to be a nuisance throughout the game. Despite all our good attacking play with lots of chances created, we could break the deadlock and the game ended 0-0.
So the first tournament of the season in Div 1, with a new team and one where some had not played together before, we held our own and finished 2nd in the league. Coach Mark said “I really could not ask for more today and I am super proud of every single player. The hard work and dedication has really paid off.” Player of the tournament went to Maddison. Maddison appears to have found herself a new role in defence, having had a great tournament and excelling today. Well done Maddison. Another big shout out to Frances for not only playing every minute of our games, making some crucial saves, but also helping out other the other teams who did not have a goal keeper today.
Big thanks to Mark for coaching and Rob for co-coaching and umpiring too. Also thank you to Will for the keeper coaching / guidance throughout the tournament.
U14 Boys (2) vs. (1) Leeds Adel
The U14 Boys started the new season with a home fixture against Leeds Adel and we had a good home crowd to cheer for. We started the game well and took the game to Adel from the first minute, with us bossing the game from defence, through midfield and into the attacking positions. The defence of captain Harry, Ethan, Ollie, and Dominic were excellent, all making excellent tackles and kept the Adel attack for large parts of the game. Some of the last ditch tackles and work rate was awesome.
Moving into midfield Will and Nate worked hard to get attacks going, while the wingers of Declan and Charlie were a constant threat on the flanks. Some super skills on show as they both looked to take on players and create chances for the attacking two. Up front to start with was Owen and Zach, and as always, Owen was a real nuisance for the Adel defence with his hassling, running and eye for goal. Zach playing his first U14s game worked hard to put pressure on the Adel defense and did not look out of place.
Two more players who did not look out of place today were our subs of Matthew and Noah who both came on in a number of positions, working hard making great runs to trouble the Adel defence. We took the lead after a great move through midfield, with us working the ball well into the D before Owen slotted the ball home. Our 2nd goal again came from great team play, leading to a short corner. The ball was pushed out to the top of the D and found its way to Owen on the right of the D, who finished with a composed finish.
A little tiredness then crept in and Adel had more of the ball with Nikolai making some good saves and clearances, before Adel got a goal back through there danger player. We were then put under some pressure but we held firm and saw out the remainder of the game for a 2-1. Every player who stepped on the pitch today gave their all, and we thoroughly deserved the win. Well done to all the lads. I am super proud of you all. Big thanks to Trevor and Tim for umpiring today and thanks to all the parents and supports for cheering the lads on. And thank you to Mark for his hard work and dedication to coaching the boys.
U14 Girls (2) vs. (1) Sheffield HC
The U14 girls today travelled to Sheffield in the Tier 1 league! A number of players were unavailable and therefore we had many youngsters stepping up. Stepping up in the top tier is not easy. Jess came on in midfield and worked hard to close down the opposition, she tackled well and gained us possession. Eleanor came on up front and threatened the defence, she never gave up on any challenge and didn’t look phased by the standard of hockey.
Isabella was in the heart of defence and calmly dealt with any attack coming through the middle, she linked up really well with Amelia who supported Isabella magnificently. Ruth started the game upfront and battled well in the D – her persistence was noted and paid off when she got us an early goal against an outstanding GK. The rest of the team went into their second game of the season in good spirits, mentally they were in the game and this made a big difference. As a team we denied the Sheffield team any opportunity to play hockey. We were on fire from the off and didn’t stop until the end!
Amelia defended with class and vocally her presence was outstanding. A phenomenal centre back and scoring a flick to secure our win today was the icing on the cake for her. Lorna and Matilda were unbeaten in defence on their sides of the pitch. The strength in their performance meant we could attack down both the right and left – really strong outstanding performances by both wing backs today. Connie had to move into the middle of midfield today with the support of Adelaide and Alys. All 3 of them battled hard in the middle to support the attack and defence. Connie provided the team with the second goal! Rosie was unbeatable in the attacking midfield role, taking on the opposition and creating the opportunity for the forwards. The Sheffield defence couldn’t handle Rosie’s skills but did award her player of the match!
Edie was like a terrier – all over the attack – she never gave up on anything. She tried taking the ball round the keeper but the keeper took her clean out giving way for Amelia to score a flick and put the game to bed! Amie in goal surprisingly didn’t have much to do today which is testimony to the defence! An overall outstanding team performance beating Sheffield 3-1.
U16 Girls (1) vs. (0) Selby HC
Slaz U16 girls travelled to Selby for their first match of the season after their match against Morpeth was cancelled. After much work at training sessions the girls started well and adapted well to a new group of girls. Rebecca Green put in a massive performance chasing what both coaches and umpires thought were lost causes only to keep the ball in play and continue the attack. The Selby goal felt like it had a force field round it, stopping all the Slaz attempts, until we finally broke through to score a well deserved goal in the last quarter of the match. The girls then just had to hold onto the lead, Bella Kidd putting in a massive performance at CB and only allowing Selby to get 1 shot on target which was dispatched by Tori in goals. With all of them giving their all, when the final whistle came, many of the girls let out a big sigh of relief as their energy levels had been fully depleted. Great 1-0 win roll on Durham and Halifax
