Men’s 1st’s (0) vs. (3) City of York
Men’s 1sts lost out to York 3-0. Its was an incredible performance from the York keeper who shut out strikes from the Slazenger team, which normally would have put clear water between the two teams.
Men’s 2nd’s (1) vs. (1) Barnsley 1st’s
The mens 2nd’s hosted Barnsley, and were 9nly able to take a point from the encounte. Slaz took the early initiative and pressured from the off, however struggled to convert the pressure. It was a Richard Tuddenham strike which put the side ahead. However, Barnsley worked themselves back into the game, to equalise with minutes before half time.
In the second half, it was the same story for the home side. With the majority of possession and pressure, but not able to find a winner. When a Barnsley player was red carded for violent conduct, things didn’t get easier. With 10 players sat behind the ball, Barnsley sat back to protect the draw. Slaz were unable to score, and disappointingly were only able to take the draw.
The 2nd’s look to return to winning ways next week with a double header against Doncaster and Sheffield Bankers.
Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (6) Ben Rhydding 5th’s
A calm Saturday afternoon set the stage for today’s home game. Slaz came out victorious in the first encounter.
The game opened with a tentative few minutes from both teams, loose passes flying all over the pitch. A chaotic short eventually led to Rhydding opening the scoring three minutes in. Another Rhydding short slipped past their castle to the Slazenger attack, but nothing came from it. Just short of ten minutes into the half, Damo levelled the score with an expert finish from the first Slaz short. The Ben Rhydding attack used their youth and pace down the wings, causing lots of problems for the seemingly half asleep Slazenger team, who didn’t help themselves with slow reactions, poor communication and sloppy passing. Despite this, chances came for Slaz, but they couldn’t find the back of the net. Down the other end Rhydding took back their lead, after more poor decision making. Ben Rhydding received a few cards throughout the first 30, but Slazenger were not able to capitalise on the numerical advantage. Rhydding extended their lead just before the half ended. 3-1 Rhydding HT.
With rushed passing and poor composure, the second half continued with its scrappy theme. Slaz’s continuing error strewn approach led to Rhydding receiving further shorts, converting one after a lacklustre clearance from the defence. To perfectly illustrate Slaz’s frustrating afternoon, after Aleks guided a great finish past the keeper with 12 minutes left to play following a string of sharp passes, he then almost immediately received a green card. With an impending sense of deja-vu, another short preceded another goal for Ben Rhydding. As Slaz’s frustration grew, and tempers frayed, Scott joined in on the cards with a yellow as the game closed out. Rhydding topped off a dominant display with a final goal. A bad day at the office for the home side. 6-2 Rhydding FT.
Men’s 4th’s (6) vs. (1) Huddersfield Dragons 4th’s
The men’s 4s once again started our game with an early goal after just 5 minutes with a second just three minutes later. We then asserted our dominance with two more goal before half time. In the second half the 4s continued to thrive extending our lead to 5 before the visitors managed to deny our clean sheet however another late goal re-established the 5 goal lead. Final score 6-1. Goals from James Stevenson (3), John Sykes (2), Andy Fisher (1)
Development (1) vs. (2) Sheffield Hallam
Owen Wiper scored the only goal in the development team’s defeat to visitors Sheffield Hallam
Ladies 1st’s (4) vs. (1) Adel 2nd’s
Despite missing key players Emma, Ailish, and Zoe, Slazengers Ladies 1st team put in a fantastic performance against a strong Adel side, with the juniors stepping up impressively with our youngest players, Millie and Amelia looking fabulous on the pitch.
From the first whistle, Slazengers played with determination and energy. The opening goal came from Mollie, who executed a well-worked short corner routine, slotting the ball from the top left of the D into the bottom right of the goal.
Adel responded with intense pressure, but Slazengers held their ground, moving the ball around the back efficiently through Imogen, Marissa, Eliz, Bella, and Rebecca. Their patience and composure helped control the game’s tempo.
The second goal came from Rudgey, who took inspiration from Mollie’s finish and delivered a stunning tomahawk strike into the bottom left corner. Slazengers’ attacking momentum continued, and just before halftime, Millie Brierley—who was later named Player of the Match—capped off a stellar performance by calmly slotting the ball past the keeper after a pinpoint assist from Frankie.
Heading into the second half with a 3-0 lead, Slazengers braced for a strong push from Adel, who looked for short corners at every opportunity. Their persistence paid off when Adel’s number 12 found the net. No complaints from Slazengers, though—she was a nice girl!
Hannah kept the energy high with some fantastic runs (and an equally impressive rendition of the WAP), and she played a crucial role in the final goal of the match. Linking up brilliantly with Rudgey, who set up a tidy finish past the keeper to seal the 4-1 victory.
It was a fantastic team performance, with everyone putting in a shift and working hard for each other. With confidence high, Slazengers look forward to taking on York next week, ready to carry this momentum forward!
Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (1) Acomb 1st’s
Slaz were away on Saturday for their first of 2 matches this weekend.
Slaz started strong from the first whistle and had a lot of attacking play in the first half, but struggled to finish, with Acomb defending tightly. On the break, Acomb came fast with 4 players driving towards Gemma and Erin, with mid were running back. They were too quick and made good passes around our players and were awarded with a goal. The match continued with equal chances from both ends and GK Erin made a number of fantastic saves, keeping us then the game. Determined not to fall behind, Slaz dug deep and after scrappy play in Acomb’s D, Lou managed to pluck the ball and find the back of the net. Half time finished 1-1.
In the second half, both teams came out with high energy knowing all was to play for. Slaz was more aware to cover Acombs fast breaks and marked tighter to not allow any chances. Still digging deep, Slaz battled for every 50/50 ball, winning the majority. Both teams were becoming unsettled, with desperation to secure 3 points and led to some chaotic play in some parts. After another scrap infront of Acomb’s goal, Slaz managed to trickle the ball over the net but sadly this goal was disallowed. Acomb continued to have a few breaks, with one be foiled by a great run and interception by midfielder Courtney. Slaz repeatedly stepped up the pressure and managed to work through Acomb’s defence, with some great team play and a fast ball crossed in by Kez, leading to young Lucy slotting the ball in the back of the net. Final score ended 2-1 to Slaz.
Player of the match was joint between Ni who defended strong and made great runs, and GK Erin for her great saves throughout the game.
Ladies 2nd’s (0) vs. (1) Tadcaster 1st’s
Slaz travelled to Tadcaster knowing that a win would see them go clear at the top of the league. What followed was a fiercely contested battle, with both sides leaving everything on the pitch.
From the first whistle, Tadcaster came out fighting—both physically and tactically—but Slaz stood their ground, refusing to be bullied off the ball. Slaz pressed high and won several short corners in the first half, but Tadcaster’s defence proved stubborn, frustrating Slaz’s attacking efforts. Despite the intensity of the game, neither side could find a breakthrough before halftime, with the score locked at 0-0.
The second half saw Slaz stretch the play, using more width to create space and control possession. Both teams fought hard for dominance in midfield, leading to chances at both ends. Slaz’s defence and goalkeeper Lauren put in a heroic shift, denying Tadcaster on multiple occasions.
However, with just moments left on the clock, Tadcaster found a way through, slotting home a late winner despite Slaz’s best defensive efforts. It was a cruel end to a hard-fought match, but Slaz will take heart from their performance and look to bounce back in their next fixture. Final score 0-1.
Player of the match went to Rebecca for awesome runs, tackles and all round play, especially following a night shift!
Ladies 3rd’s (2) vs. (2) City of York 4
A penalty flick in the last 10 minutes meant that the points were shared away at York. Early attacking pressure saw a few shots just go wide of the post. On the 23rd minute Caro Scofield received the ball at the left of the D and this time found the back board. York equalised just before half time. Slaz nearly scored again with the shot just sneaking the wrong side of the post. 1-1 at half time.
At the start of the second half York had a host of short corners but a spectacular Slaz defence and some sensational saves meant the score stayed level. On the 50th minute Slaz took the lead once again from another Scofield goal. 2 minutes later found Slaz down to 10 men for 2 minutes as Zoe Searson was shown a green card for a stick tackle. Another flurry of short corners for York ended with a penalty flick for a foot on the line. The flick was scored and all was level once again. Slaz had some wonderful attacking pressure but unfortunately the ball just wouldn’t go in. The game finished 2-2.
Player of the match was awarded to midfielder Rebecca Furness, but there were multiple players nominated showing the great team effort.
Ladies 4th’s (1) vs. (2) Cleckheaton 1st’s
Ladies 4s travelled to Heckmondwike Grammar School to face Cleckheaton for their first game of the weekend. With a 2 player advantage Slaz started the game with more complacency than it deserved. Cleckheaton managed to overload the route through the centre of the pitch on numerous occasions and intercepted the majority of the loose Slaz balls. Around 15 minutes in Slaz finally woke up and started passing the ball around Cleckheaton, moving well on and off the ball, they were rewarded with the first goal of the game coming from Charlotte Young. The 2nd goal came shortly after with Alys Kaushiva confidently lifting the ball over the keeper for the 2nd week running. Unfortunately, a well orchestrated short corner from the umpire led to Cleckheaton getting a goal back just before half time.
The 2nd half was end to end hockey with neither team able to add to the scoreline. Final score Cleckheaton 1s 1-2 Slazenger 4s
Ladies 4th’s (0) vs. (3) Selby 1st’s
Like last weekend the Sunday game proved to be more difficult for Ladies 4s. Selby, with a comfortable top 2 spot in the league showed their dominance from the start of the game. Slazs defence showed true resilience, with midfield working tirelessly to support them. Unfortunately the forwards struggled to make any convincing attacks and found themselves tracking back to defend on numerous occasions. A great save of a penalty stroke by Charlotte Richardson on the final whistle meant Slaz limited their defeat to 0-3.
Boys U14’s
Our U14 boys played their first match of 2025 today, hosting Leeds Adel at home.
The boys had a slow start and struggled to gain control in the first quarter. This was exacerbated when Charlie left the field feeling unwell after 10 minutes. However, Noah stepped in on the right wing and proved to be more than an adequate replacement.
In the second quarter, we really picked up the pace. Harry and Ollie commanded the defence, while Will and Nate worked hard to create opportunities in midfield. We utilised the wings extensively, with Declan causing trouble for the Adel defence, though we couldn’t carve out a clear-cut chance. Nevertheless, pressure from Owen, Matthew, and Will kept Adel’s defence on their toes. A determined effort by Noah to close down a back pass resulted in the ball landing at Owen’s feet, who then slotted it home for a 1-0 lead. The next 10-15 minutes saw the game become an end-to-end battle, with Nikolai making several saves before Adel equalized.
In the third quarter, Adel posed many challenges, but Zach, Alfie, Ollie, and Harry managed to deal with everything thrown at them. Adel then took a 2-1 lead from a short corner that we couldn’t clear.
Entering the fourth quarter, the boys gave their all to find an equalizer, which came when Noah scored from close range. The final 10 minutes saw more end-to-end action, with Nate and Will working tirelessly to cut out attacks through the midfield. Captain Harry was everywhere, relentlessly winning back possession. The boys continued to work hard until the final whistle, successfully thwarting any further Adel attacks, with Nikolai making some brilliant saves to maintain the 2-2 scoreline.
It was a great game and a fair result, with all the players giving their utmost effort. Players’ Player went to Nikolai for his string of brilliant saves that kept us in the game. Well done, Nikolai! Thanks as ever to Mark for managing the boys, and many thanks to Gemma and Tim for umpiring, and a big thank you to everyone who helped with providing and serving the teas after the game!
Girls U14s
The U14 Girls started their match against Thirsk with great energy, dominating possession from the get-go. Rosie and Connie controlled the midfield, with strong support from Harriette and Adelaide on the wings. Early pressure earned a short corner, but the team couldn’t convert. Harriette made some crucial tackles, and Katie’s accurate passes helped push the team forward.
Mollie’s excellent ball distribution down the wing created chances for Edie and Ruth, while the defence of Amelia, Matilda, Lorna, and Izzy kept Thirsk’s attack at bay, allowing goalkeeper Amie to remain untested in the first quarter of the game. Connie stood out in midfield, with well-timed tackles and precise passes to the forwards. A last-minute short corner was expertly converted, giving the team a 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw continued dominance, with the team pushing forward relentlessly. A quick pass to Alys resulted in a goal, bringing the score to 2-0. The defence remained solid, and another short corner was converted by Alys, making it 3-0. Rosie then showed great skill, driving past defenders to score a fantastic individual goal, ending the half 4-0.
In the second half, Thirsk pushed hard, but GK Amie made a crucial save to keep the clean sheet. The team had several chances to add to their lead but were unable to convert. Mollie continued to impress in right midfield, making key tackles and linking up well with her teammates. Rosie then set up Alys for another goal, making it 5-0. For the final quarter, the team shifted to only three in defence, with Matilda, Lorna, Katie, and Izzy holding strong at the back. Amelia moved into midfield, partnering well with Connie, Harriette, Adelaide and Mollie. The forwards kept up the pressure, with Ruth chasing down some seemingly unreachable balls. Edie’s hard work was rewarded with a goal to make it 6-0, securing a dominant win for the U14 Girls in their first game of 2025! Well done girls!
The opposition player of the match was awarded to Rosie, and Connie and Mollie were both voted Players Player!
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