2025 League – Week 11 – Match Reports

Men’s 1st’s (1) vs. (2) Chapeltown 1st’s

Slaz Mens 1’s travelled to Chapeltown away with hopes of returning to form after a difficult game the previous week against Sheffield University Bankers. And they started in the perfect fashion with some incisive breakaway play, with a particularly cutting move started by Amar Khalil, and involving both Danny Perry and Jordan Ingham before being finished off by Adam Fall. Slazengers took a 1-0 lead and looked every bit worthy of the score line.

Unfortunately, a number of unlucky cards for Slaz left them struggling to retain possession for long periods of time and having to weather a number of Chapeltown attacks. Despite staunch resistance from a makeshift backline, Slaz eventually conceded from a well-taken dragflick. However, going into the break at half-time, Slaz looked good for the 1-1 scoreline and had hopes to build on this in the second period. Unfortunately, several major decisions didn’t go their way, and they found themselves once again conceding from a well-placed dragflick.

Despite mounting a number of attacks in the closing passages of the game, Slaz failed to get an elusive second goal that would’ve earned them a more than deserved point and were left to lick their wounds. Special mentions go to Robin Brearton, whose tireless running and strong tackling were a constant thorn in Chapeltown’s side and Keith Leonard who performed admirably at centre-back, despite this not being his usual position.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (0) Rotherham 2nd’s

The Men’s 2nds made the trip to Rotherham for a 4pm start under the floodlights—always a bit of a different vibe, but Slaz came out flying. From the first minute they looked sharp, carrying over that calm, confident hockey from the tail end of last week’s game. The ball was moving nicely, the passes were sticking, and the team created a bunch of early chances. Having Paul Wiper up top gave Slaz loads of options, and it wasn’t long before the pressure paid off. James Stevenson – who ended up taking Man of the Match – opened the scoring with a tidy finish, slotting it past the keeper and setting the tone.

Buoyed by the opener, Slaz pushed on again. A run of penalty corners followed, and this time Ian Hedges stepped up and flicked home a well-placed second. At that point, the confidence really started to flow. Then came the standout moment of the match, maybe even goal of the season: a flowing five-player move that went from back to front with proper composure. Ben Graham drew the keeper out brilliantly before sliding it across for Jack Mumford to finish it off. Class goal, and fully deserved.

The second half had a similar feel, with Slaz still trying to play the same passing game, though Rotherham had clearly woken up a bit. They closed space quicker and made it harder to break through. As the legs started to tire, the sharpness going forward dropped off slightly—but the work rate didn’t. At the back, James Walker had another excellent afternoon, pulling off a couple of really strong saves to secure his third clean sheet of the season. The win bumps the 2nds up to 6th and gives them a good bit of momentum heading toward the Christmas break. Plenty of positives, some great hockey played, and a proper team performance all round.

Men’s 3rd’s (1) vs. (5) Harrogate 4th’s

The Men’s 3rd Team slipped to a 5–1 defeat at the weekend, though the performance was far better than the scoreline suggests. Slazenger 3rds, the visiting side, were made to work throughout, and the match was competitive for long spells. Our goal came from Damian Greig, who reacted quickest during a scramble in the D to finish well. The team enjoyed a strong period after that, creating several good chances and moving the ball with confidence.

A clear highlight was the debut of Sammy Parkin, who earned Man of the Match for an excellent display in goal. He made a number of important saves and showed great composure despite constant pressure. While Harrogate proved more clinical, there were plenty of positives to take forward. A tough result, but an encouraging effort from the squad.

Men’s 4th’s (3) vs. (2) Rotherham 3rd’s

Slazengers 4s endured a frustrating afternoon against a well-drilled Rotherham side, ultimately falling short despite a spirited late push. The game began at a high tempo, with both teams enjoying periods of possession but struggling to create clear openings. Slazengers gradually grew into the half, tightening their structure and pressing more aggressively as the minutes ticked by. Their persistence paid off just before the break: a swift move down the right opened space at the top of the D, and a sharp, low finish gave Slazengers a deserved 1–0 lead at half-time.

The second half, however, belonged largely to Rotherham. They came out with renewed intensity, forcing Slazengers deep and capitalising on turnovers in midfield. A quick equaliser shifted the momentum, and two further goals followed as Rotherham’s pressure told. Suddenly, Slazengers found themselves trailing 3–1. To their credit, Slazengers rallied in the final stages, pushing higher up the pitch and creating several promising chances. Their determination was rewarded shortly before the final whistle with a composed finish to bring the score back to 3–2.

Despite the late surge, time ran out for Slazengers, who were left to rue a difficult spell early in the second half. Still, the performance showed plenty of character and fight—positives they will look to build on in their next outing.

Ladies 1st’s (0) vs. (4) Pocklington 1st’s

The Slippery Fields of Slazengers

On a cold and gloomy day in the kingdom of Horbury, our brave young hockey heroes set out onto the enchanted field. A hard winter breeze swept across the turf, carrying whispers of challenge and adventure. An early ominous sign of gloom bestowed its self on the Slaz heroines as Millie attempted the push back from the wrong line. Before they had even settled into their battle lines, a mischievous early strike from the opposing clan slipped past our defenders—catching our middle lines out of position and pushing them back from the wrong magical boundary. By the time the sun hid behind the clouds again, the scoreboard read 2–0 at half-time. Following a tough & frustrated team talk, The horn called the heroes back for the second half and our chosen ones started much stronger, every quest has its champions, and Frankie was first to rise—darting up the wing like a swift woodland sprite, weaving through cold air, stunned defenders and gloomy shadows.Hannah, though frustrated, fought on with the fire of a woodland warrior. Millie & Alys harried the front line and the overworked defence bravely, standing firm like a stone pillars of the ancient ruins.

Attention wavered at times (even heroes can be distracted by swirling winter magic), but when they focused, the team strung together long passes and quick little spells that shimmered across the frosted turf. Amelia burst forward with excellent runs, as though guided by enchanted boots. One bright moment came when Millie dashed forward and sent a clever pass to Frankie, forcing the rival keeper into a scrambling dance to protect their goal. The team worked tirelessly—never giving up, even as the cold tried to slow their spirits. In the defensive circle, our heroes attempted a short-corner spell, but the magic fizzled and the ball rolled straight through our warriors to the enemy attacker. The opposing team were well-drilled—almost as though trained by ancient forest guardians—and they took full advantage.

At 4–0, even the bravest hearts felt the chill but “Play well, heroes—and raise your heads. Every quest leads to the next adventure.” Yet despite the wintry hardship, our squad showed courage, improvement, and the spark of future triumphs. The final message from the enchanted field was clear: Defeated heads shall be raised, The Slaz fight and spirit shall return, dust yourselves down brave hearts. This team will raise from the ashes of defeat, thou shalt triumph once again and conquer the hallowed fields of Harrogate.

Ladies 2nd’s (0) vs. (5) Sheffield Phoenix

Slazenger 2s faced a tough afternoon against a sharp Sheffield Phoenix side, who started strongly and immediately applied pressure with a series of early short corners. The Slazengers’ defence held firm through the opening exchanges, absorbing attack after attack with discipline and organisation. However, Sheffield eventually broke the deadlock midway through the first half, capitalising on sustained pressure. Despite creating several promising chances of their own, Slazengers struggled to convert opportunities, unable to find the final touch needed in the circle. Sheffield added a second before the break, sending Slazengers into halftime trailing 2–0.

The second half saw a determined response from Slazengers. They came out fighting, winning numerous short corners and spending long spells in Sheffield’s half. Unfortunately, the elusive goal continued to evade them. Against the run of play, Sheffield countered and earned a penalty flick, but goalkeeper Erin produced an excellent save to keep her team in the contest. Slazengers continued to pile on the pressure, pushing for a way back into the game, but Sheffield proved ruthless on the break. Despite the defensive effort, the visitors added three more goals, leaving the final score at 5–0. A frustrating result for Slazenger 2s, who showed resilience, created chances, and battled throughout — but the goals simply wouldn’t come.

Ladies 3rd’s (1) vs. (0) City of York 5th’s

From the first whistle, Slazengers dominated the game, holding the majority of possession and dictating the pace. Despite wave after wave of pressure, the backboard proved frustratingly elusive for much of the match. Wingers Evie Mollart, Gemma Wroe and Lauren Fealy worked tirelessly down both wings, consistently driving play forward. Despite facing a well-organised and resilient York defence, they still managed to carve out several promising chances and looked strong and confident on the ball throughout. Short corners became the theme of the afternoon. Slazengers earned them repeatedly thanks to their attacking pressure, yet conversion remained stubbornly out of reach. In midfield, Lisa Minchella was nothing short of a wall—breaking up play, recycling possession, and stopping York from gaining any momentum. While Slazengers dominated, York did threaten on the counter a couple of times. But the defesive unit of Sarah Ritchtea, Zoe Searson, Nicole Fillingham, and Player of the Match Beth Buckley shut down every break with calmness and authority.

As the clock ticked down, Slazengers began to feel the pressure of the 0–0 scoreline. But with only a few minutes remaining, Mollart once again forced a short corner—one last chance to claim the win. Fealy injected cleanly, received the return pass, and drove the ball across the goalmouth. Waiting in perfect position was centre forward Caro Schofield, who pounced decisively, firing home the only goal of the match and securing a well-deserved 1–0 victory for the relieved Slazengers team.

Ladies 4th’s (5) vs. (0) Huddersfield Dragons 4th’s

Ladies 4s game today is cancelled as dragons 4s can’t get a team out. Slazenger were awarded a 5-0 walkover.

It was 1–0 and Slaz were rolling. Amelia, meanwhile, was everywhere — tackling, distributing, bursting forward, and dropping absolute peaches of passes all afternoon. She connected the whole team beautifully and kept the tempo high. Out wide, Katie and Izzy were running lengths of the pitch like Olympic triallists. Katie tracked back, tackled, attacked, and repeatedly found herself exactly where the team needed her. Izzy was a constant creative force down the left, and her reward came later with a brilliantly finished short corner routine.

Then came Adelaide, bravely testing her ankle to see if it still hurt. Turns out the pain level didn’t matter — she played through it with determination and her usual blend of enthusiasm and mild chaos. Goal two came via Jess, who is currently in her “glow-up hockey era.” Lauren fired the ball into the D, the keeper kindly passed it back to Jess, and Jess tucked it away like she’d been saving that finish for just the right moment. Then Ben Rhydding broke through to score making it 2–1. But on came Darcie, fresh off the bench with the energy of someone who has been promised at least £5 per goal by her dad.

After Lauren’s shot was saved, Darcie pounced like a hungry seagull and smashed in the rebound to make it 3–1. At the back, our trio of Captain Beth, Lorna, and Tilda got their heads together after the Ben Rhydding goal and turned into The Defensive Wall. Beth captained with total composure, guiding the team like the sensible older sister of the squad. Lorna was quietly brilliant — tackling cleanly, blocking intelligently, and clearing without fuss. Tilda timed every challenge perfectly and read the game like she had tomorrow’s newspaper.

Together they ensured no further attacks caused any drama. Next came the short corner routine so slick it could’ve been on YouTube tutorials: Jess injected, Amelia delivered the smoothest slip pass, and Izzy stepped in and buried it. That made it 4–1 and genuinely lovely hockey to watch. As quoted by one parent who summed the team up perfectly with: “One for all, and all for one.” And honestly, it fit — the girls were playing like a squad who genuinely had each other’s backs at every moment (and the promise of after game snacks!) In the second half Slaz kept up the pressure. Their passing was sharp, their work rate was huge, and their teamwork looked better than ever.

A saved short corner fell loose and Ruth — powered by lightning reflexes tucked it away for 5–1. The Ben Rhydding GK made save after save that genuinely deserved applause. The Slaz girls even picked her as their opposition player of the match. But even she couldn’t stop Amelia’s quick free hit which travelled upfield to Ruth. Ruth calmly finished again to make it 6–1. Finally, Darcie — sensing the possibility of extra pocket money — smashed in a first-time sweep to make it 7–1. Her dad’s wallet cried but the team celebrated.

Every single player contributed something brilliant and as their coach, to see the growth in the girls as a team and individuals has been has been one of the most rewarding parts of coaching. Their progress, both as teammates and as individuals, has been incredible. Jess with her goal, demonstrating her new skills throughout the game; Edie with her composed finish and constant movement up top; Katie and Izzy with endless running and smart link-up play; Adelaide with grit and determination despite the ankle; Lauren with a midfield masterclass in a brand-new position; Amelia with intelligent passing and great game management; Darcie with two clinical finishes; Ruth was a constant threat and scored two superb goals; Beth with calm, commanding leadership; Lorna with solid defensive positioning; Tilda with perfect timing and clever reading of play.

Player of the Match, with a near clean sweep of votes (bar the one generous vote she gave to Amelia), was Lauren. She delivered an outstanding performance in a brand-new position, which she made look completely her own. She worked tirelessly to drive the team forward and, although she didn’t get on the scoresheet herself, she played a crucial role in creating and assisting many of the team’s goals.

Donut of the Day, unsurprisingly, went to Adelaide for turning up in red kit. Though let’s be honest — her mum is very much a suspect!

After the match came the snacks, and with them: chaos and 67 moves. The mini sausages made their appearance and quickly became the centrepiece of what can only be described as “The Great Sausage Games of 2025.” Sausages were thrown, caught, launched, misfired, and experimented with. Some throws had the accuracy of a world-class drag flick; others… not so much. Parents looked on, half horrified, half entertained, and fully aware there was no stopping what had begun! Huge thanks to Aidy and Mark for umpiring, and to the parents who braved the drizzle like absolute troopers! And next week we face our final game before Christmas, playing Wakefield at home at 3pm — so come down and watch the future of Slaz!

Their opening match was against Sheffield, which ended goalless. Both teams had possession in the other’s D but were unable to score, resulting in a fair result for both sides.

Their second match was against Lindum, which was another 0-0. This was a good result for Slaz as Lindum were the stronger side, and Frances was called upon a couple of times to make some big saves.

Match 3 was a 2-0 loss to Thirsk, who were a tough side and put Slaz under a lot of pressure. The scoreline would’ve been bigger, but Slaz’s defence played well and repelled the rest of Thirsk’s attacks.

Slaz’s last match was against Wakefield, which was a 1-0 win. The goal was a team effort, starting with Penny who drove down the right wing, passed to Izzy who was inside the D, who then crossed the ball across goal for Tilly to slot in. Slaz continued to press for a second but were unable to score again. It was a great result and a fitting end to the tournament.

Although it was a real team performance where all shone, Player of the tournament went to Tilly, who was always an option out wide and improved as the tournament went on. She capped it off with a well-taken goal.

Slaz will go again on December 7th for the last tournament before Christmas.

One of the standout defensive moments saw Jackson produce another important save before Bryce cleared the loose ball to safety. The midfield and forward line continued to combine well with Matthew, Dom and Alfie showing strong teamwork to move the ball up the pitch. George and Bryce added energy and intelligent movement, working hard to win possession and create attacking opportunities. Despite Slazengers’ impressive work rate and several promising chances, the breakthrough didn’t come—but the team can be proud of a committed, organised performance across the pitch.

Slazengers 3–0 Bradford
Slazengers delivered a strong all-round team performance to claim a 3–0 victory with every player contributing across the pitch. The game began with high intensity, driven by George’s relentless chasing and Harry’s assured passing helping Slazengers take early control. Matthew made the first breakthrough attempt, driving into the D for a well-struck shot on goal. The opening goal came through excellent teamwork: Matthew and Alfie combined smartly to move the ball forward, threading it into Dom, who calmly finished to put Slazengers ahead. Bradford attempted to respond but Slazengers held firm. George continued to lead the attack with powerful forward runs, while at the back Harry and Edward put in solid defensive shifts, giving Jackson a well-managed rest in goal. Bryce applied strong pressure and tackling, disrupting Bradford’s build-up play and regaining possession at key moments. Slazengers nearly added to their lead when Alfie positioned himself perfectly before sending a precise pass into Dom who forced another attempt on goal. Bradford barely had time to reorganise before Matthew intercepted brilliantly driving forward for a shot that the keeper saved only for Dom to respond and slot the ball into the goal. The final goal came as a result of sustained hard work from Matthew who had been a constant presence throughout the match. His persistence paid off when he secured a well-placed confidently taken goal, sealing the 3–0 victory. This was a match full of energy, teamwork, and intelligent hockey. Slazengers can be proud of a disciplined performance that showcased their progress and cohesion across the whole squad.

Slazengers 1–0 Adel
Slazengers secured a hard-earned 1–0 win thanks to a strong team performance marked by confident defending and creative attacking play. Harry set the tone early with powerful dribbling and intelligent movement on the ball helping Slazengers advance up the pitch. Edward provided excellent clearances throughout and together he and Harry formed a solid defensive unit that ensured nothing troubled Jackson in goal. Matthew produced a great run that led to a strong attempt on goal, while Dom also went close with a chance. Slazengers linked-up play with quick passing and good awareness which kept them on the front foot. That pressure paid off when a well-worked move involving Harry, Matthew, and Dom resulted in Dom’s decisive goal. At the back, Edward and Bryce combined well to move the ball safely away from danger and relieve pressure on Jackson. Matthew continued to work tirelessly, creating another promising effort as Slazengers searched for a second goal. Alfie and George stayed well positioned throughout, providing reliable support and helping move the ball effectively through the midfield channels. Overall, it was a confident team display, with every player contributing to a deserved 1–0 victory.

Slazengers 0 – 2 Ben Rhydding
Slazengers put in a determined performance despite a narrow 2–0 defeat to Ben Rhydding, showing growing confidence, solid teamwork and strong defensive play throughout. The game opened with a positive spell for Slazengers, highlighted by a good clearance from Harry out wide to a waiting Alfie who linked up neatly with Matthew to push the ball forward. Despite the bright start, Ben Rhydding struck early with the opening goal. Slazengers responded well with Harry and Edward standing strong at the back breaking down attacks with composed defending while George added important pressure and well-timed tackles in midfield. When the opposition threatened again Jackson produced a strong save keeping his side firmly in the contest. The team continued to build play confidently from the back with Harry’s distribution setting up attacking opportunities. A promising move saw Alfie who was well positioned out wide send the ball goalwards to Dom and Matthew who combined well as they worked their way into the D. As the game progressed, Bryce and George showed excellent teamwork to keep possession in Slazengers’ favour recycling the ball smartly and preventing Ben Rhydding from settling. Jackson delivered another crucial intervention with a strong kick-out to deny a near certain goal. Slazengers pushed hard for an equaliser late on. Matthew’s solid tackling and passing helped drive the team forward but despite their effort and improving link-up play, the breakthrough narrowly eluded them. A strong team performance with plenty of positives—resilient defending, disciplined structure and growing confidence in attack.

Special mention goes to George who has shown remarkable growth in both skill and confidence each week. His dedication and improvement have been a highlight of the tournament. The Player of the Tournament is awarded to our well-deserved captain Matthew who consistently led from the front and worked tirelessly throughout. His leadership and commitment set the standard for the whole team.