2025 League – Week 20 – Match Reports

Ladies 3rd’s (2) vs. (0) Pudsey 1st’s

Slazenger Ladies 3’s welcomed Pudsey to their home pitch for a rearranged league fixture, with both sides eager to secure a valuable three points. From the first whistle it was clear that this was going to be a competitive encounter, but it was Slazenger who settled quickest and looked particularly sharp throughout the opening half.

Their early pressure paid off when they won a short corner. Ellie Page made no mistake, firing a low strike that slipped under the Pudsey keeper and into the back of the net to open the scoring.

Pudsey were far from passive, they created several threatening moments of their own and were handed a golden opportunity when a goal-bound effort struck Sarah Ritchey’s foot on the line. A penalty flick was awarded, but Slazengers keeper Lauren Hattesley had other ideas. Diving bravely, she produced a superb save to deny Pudsey and preserve the lead — a real turning point in the match.

In midfield, Erin Kelly and May Bailey worked tirelessly, linking defence and attack and keeping Slazenger on the front foot. Their efforts were rewarded when another short corner was won. A well-worked routine with a right slip found Kelly in space, and she coolly converted to double the advantage.

Defensively, Slazenger remained alert. When Pudsey attempted to launch a quick counter with a long ball, defender Zoe Searson showed great composure and skill to cut out the pass on her reverse stick, snuffing out the danger. Slazenger headed into the break with a well-earned 2–0 lead.

The second half saw Pudsey raise their intensity and test the Slazenger defence more frequently. Ritchey was outstanding at the back, making a number of crucial, well-timed tackles to halt advancing attackers. Behind her, Hattesley continued to impress, pulling off several confident saves to keep Pudsey at bay. Slazenger’ defensive resilience and disciplined performance ensured the scoreline remained unchanged with 2–0 victory.

A standout performance between the posts earned Lauren Hattesley a well-deserved Player of the Match award.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (3) Huddersfield 2nd’s

Slazenger travelled the short distance to Huddersfield for their most recent fixture. After a less than stellar performance last week, the team were looking to put in a stronger showing. Huddersfield were no pushover and like the meeting of two heavyweights, the game was a blow for blow battle which left both sides even by the final whistle.

It was Huddersfield who went ahead with an unfortunate first goal, however strong work from James Swinden and Paul Wiper in the middle won a short corner minutes later. Ben Graham was on hand at the back post to equalise after the first shot was blocked by the opposition goalie.

The game continued to be finely balanced, with both sides having opportunities. James Stevenson and Aleks Thomson both went close, but the Huddersfield goalkeeper put in a frustratingly strong performance. With Slaz unable to find a way through, it was Huddersfield who scored a second from a breakaway goal. However, with the game so finely balanced, it wasn’t long before Ian Hedges stole the ball, and setup Richard Tuddenham to slot the ball away to equalise for a second time.

Not to be outdone however, Huddersfield pressed for a winner. Matt Green and Birkett at the back mopped up well. However they were undone when somewhat against the run of play, the ball dribbled in at the back post for a third Huddersfield goal. Again, Slazenger worked hard and a third goal was the reward; this time, Tuddenham netted from a short corner. Slazenger continued to battle hard and looked close to taking the result in the dying minutes, but Huddersfield hung on for a share of the points.

Men’s 3rd’s (0) vs. (6) Ben Rhydding 4th’s

They arrived not as mere men with sticks and shin pads, but as protagonists in a windswept epic — the valiant souls of Slazenger 3s, standing upon the slick turf to meet their fated rivals, Ben Rhydding 4s.

The afternoon air carried the scent of rain and rivalry. At the back stood the guardians of Slazenger’s fragile hopes: Simon, composed and unflinching; Jonny, whose clearances sang like poetry in motion; and the two Harrys — twin sentinels in spirit if not in blood — who moved in synchronised devotion, turning away wave after wave of attack with courage that bordered on the tragic.

Before them stretched the midfield — that restless, beating heart of the side. Sam worked tirelessly, a metronome of grit and grace. Dan battled for every inch as though the turf itself had wronged him. Jez threaded passes through impossible gaps, each one a whispered promise of glory. And Scott; who found staying afoot trickier than staying on the pitch. His passion could not be contained; first a green card cooled his fire, then, scarcely had the embers settled, a yellow followed. Two cautions in swift succession, like love letters torn unread. Yet even as he walked the lonely path to the sideline, his heart never left the field.

Up front, Slazenger’s quartet of dreamers sought to turn longing into legend. Seth pressed with tireless optimism. Owen darted between defenders like a secret not yet discovered. John held the ball with quiet authority. And Trevor — brave Trevor — threw himself into the fray with abandon, chasing half-chances as though they were destiny itself.

And yet, as in all the grandest romances, fate proved unkind.

Ben Rhydding struck first — not with cruelty, but with precision. A goal carved from opportunity. Then another, and another still. Six times the ball crossed the line, each one a dagger that pierced the scoreboard but never the spirit. For make no mistake: this was no six-goal surrender. It was a contest fought in every corner, every 50-50 challenge a clash of wills. Slazenger battled as lovers separated by circumstance — desperate, determined, defiant.

Aidan made saves worthy of sonnets. The Harrys flung themselves into blocks that left studs in the turf and bruises blooming like dark roses. Jonny cleared under pressure so fierce it felt like the closing chapter of a tragic novel. In midfield, Sam and Dan harried their counterparts relentlessly. Jez nearly unlocked the defence with a pass so exquisite it deserved a happier ending. Even reduced in number, they held firm.

But sometimes the scoreboard tells a harsher story than the field itself.

Six–nil it read at the final whistle.

Yet when they gathered afterward — breathless, and bruised — there was no shame among them. Only the quiet intimacy of shared struggle. For defeat can bind a team more tightly than victory. They had stood together. They had endured. And though the afternoon belonged to Ben Rhydding, the spirit of Slazenger 3s remained unbroken — waiting, patient as any great romance, for its triumphant sequel.