Men’s 1sts (2) vs. (2) Boston Spa 1st’s
After going a few Saturdays without a game, Slaz Mens 1s returned to action with a rearranged fixture against Boston Spa. And, despite the time out, Slaz started strongly, notching a quick lead when a flowing passing move was coolly finished off by Danny Perry. And Slaz looked to build on this lead over a fraught first half, applying consistent pressure that eventually resulted in a well-taken Asad Baig goal from a short corner.
However, despite taking a two nil lead and dominating much of the ball, Slaz couldn’t make their second-half pressure pay and conceded two goals of their own. Goalkeeper Andy Loftus made plenty of good saves in a self-anointed man of the match winning performance, but Slazengers couldn’t reward those saves with goals at the other end.
Therefore, a tumultuous game ended 2-2 with honours shared between the two sides and leaving Slaz with plenty to think on before next week.
Men’s 2nd’s (1) vs. (4) Horncastle 1st’s
There is certainly a link between the level of anticipation level for a game, and the associated travel time. Clocking in at 2 hours each direction, it wasn’t much of a surprise that enthusiasm wasn’t hitting record levels for this fixture.
Horncastle has been a staple of the league calendar for the 2nd team for several seasons since they moved into the Yorkshire league structure. However, there were few tears at the realisation that, as Horncastle sat squarely at the top of the league and unbeaten at home, this may be the last meeting for some time.
All that considered, a good warmup and some surprisingly sunny conditions (and a good helping of ibuprofen gel) meant the 2nd team were in good form for the starting whistle. In fact Slaz looked dangerous from the off. When Horncastle went ahead from a goal around the 20 minute mark, Slaz hit back almost immediately. With striker Richard Tuddenham out due to a recurring sniffle, Ben Graham led from the front, beating the mountainous keeper meaning at the break things were all square at 1-1.
The second half was more of a challenge. All of the right things were said at half time, however Maff Birkett made the mistake of using long words in his team talk, which caused confusion within the midfield well into the second half. Horncastle were as challenging a team as the first half; moving the ball effectively and attacking at pace. With the midfield still trying to work out what “spurious” meant, it wasn’t long before the opposition had scored a second. Things took an even worse turn when defender Matt Green turned the ball into his own net to help Horncastle to their third.
However, to their credit, Slaz continued to work hard. Paul Wiper, and James Swinden moved the ball effectively in the middle, and looked dangerous on the break. James Stevenson caused trouble for their back line, and Slaz had several close chances including an overhead effort from Graham who went close to getting his second in spectacular fashion.
It says something that the “man of thr match vote was tied between Green and Adam Drake for the workrate, keeping Horncastle at bay. However it was the home side who wrapped things up in the closing minutes of the game. It’s reassuring that even after 2 hours in the car, the side were able to put out such a strong performance against top of the league. Next week Slaz travel to fellow mid table side Brigg looking to take that form with them.
Men’s 3rds (3) vs. (4) Ben Rhydding 4th’s
Hear ye, hear ye—let it be writ upon this humble scroll the tale of sticks and valour, struck at the hour of half past four after noon, when Slazenger 3s did clash with Ben Rhydding 5s.
In the waning light of the day as rain did fall, when shadows grew long and spirits were tested, the men of Slazenger 3s took to the field. Guarding the sacred goal stood Sammy, steadfast as a keep upon a hill. Before him formed the shield wall: Harry, Simon, Dodge, and Harry C, iron-hearted and sworn to defend.
In the middle ground laboured Jez, Dan, and Aidy, movers of play and breakers of lines. Along the flanks flew Will, Seth, and Ryan, swift as messengers on the king’s road. Ahead, hungry for glory, waited Tim, Trevor, and Owen, ever seeking the breach.
Yet alas! Early fortune favoured not Slazenger. By cruel twist and wayward bounce, Ben Rhydding did strike four times, and the score lay heavy at 4–0 upon the half, like a storm upon a battered banner. Many a lesser band would have folded their standards then. But not these men.
From a short corner, young Ryan did step forth, and with craft and courage sent the ball true—the first reply, a spark in the darkness. Very soon after, Dan, drawing back his stick as a bowman of old, loosed a shot like an arrow, piercing the corner of the goal—clean, deadly, and full of promise. Hope grew loud upon the touchline.
Then came the moment of cruel fate: Dodge, brave of heart, stood for a penalty flick, yet fortune turned her face away, and the chance went begging. Still the charge did not falter. Once more Ryan was summoned, this time to the penalty spot, and with the calm of a seasoned knight he struck true, claiming the third goal and setting hearts racing. The field trembled with belief; the comeback loomed like legend half-written.
Though time proved the sternest foe, and no fourth goal would come, the final reckoning stood at 4–3—a narrow loss, yet rich in honour. Above all stood Sammy, whose glove and grit kept Slazenger alive when the tide was fiercest. By common voice and rightful acclaim, he was named Man of the Match, protector of the realm. So ends this tale: not of defeat, but of resolve. Let it be remembered that though Slazenger 3s fell by one, they rose from four, and left the field with heads unbowed and spirits unbroken.
Thus is it written.
Ladies 1st’s (5) vs. (0) Brigg 1st’s
Slazengers Ladies 1s were back in action against Brigg this weekend, and after last week’s ice-induced cancellation, it genuinely felt like we’d gone from Antarctica to April. Blue skies, a bit of spring sunshine, and—despite being a few key players down thanks to some selfishly timed holidays—Slaz turned up in a very warm mood and put on a proper team performance to win 5–0.
From the first whistle there was loads to like: crisp link-ups from defence through midfield into the forwards, plenty of movement, and a back line that kept things tidy. Brigg had a few moments in the first half, but none of their chances found the net—and when they did get close, Ami in goal decided she simply wasn’t allowing it. She pulled off a string of unreal saves, kept the clean sheet, and rightly took Player of the Match. In front of her, the defensive unit worked like it had been spring-cleaned: organised, sharp, and calm under pressure.
The scoring started at 12 minutes. After a great cross from Emma, Coops got the all-important touch to send it across goal, and Millie—posted perfectly at the back —slotted it home for 1–0. Coops was next, getting a clever deflection from an Emma short corner strike at the top of the D to make it 2–0. Brigg tried to hit back with some quick breaks, forcing Slaz to scramble and recover, but just before half time Zoe produced a glorious sequel to her Brigg-away tomahawk: a perfectly struck effort from a harsh angle that made its way toward goal, where Millie was again in the right place at the right time to deflect it in (or, depending who you ask, bravely protect herself). 3–0 at half time, and Slaz were flying.
Brigg came out properly fired up in the second half and Slaz had to work. Tilda and Bella put in some cracking tackles, Marissa was a steady (and loud) organiser at centre back, and Becca kept finding acres of space down the right sideline. Brigg even had a short corner goal disallowed after the first strike was above the backboard—but they moved it smartly and kept asking questions. Slaz weathered it, found the tempo again, and the front line started stretching play: Alys and Coops made some great runs, Lucy and Amelia worked tirelessly in midfield to drive the line and pick out passes, and eventually the pressure told. After a strong move down the left, the ball spent an age flirting with the goal line before Coops popped up to tap it in for 4–0. Then—after what looked like an active decision not to score—Emma finally gave in. A great run from Millie and a pass across to the right at the top of the D, Emma calmly slotted home for 5-0.
And because every sunny win needs a little comedy: with two goals already, Coops was encouraged to go for a tomahawk. It was valiant. It was ambitious. It was… chaos. The ball was missed, the stick left her hands, and the sideline collectively winced. Add in being far too busy chatting to Brigg’s centre back, and Coops secured Tart of the Day with ease. A brilliant all-round performance, a clean sheet, and proper spring energy throughout. Next week: top of the league.
Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (3) Selby 1sts
L2s lost 2-3 against Selby. Goals from Lou Haigh and Maisie Davis.
Ladies 3rd’s (2) vs. (0) Leeds Uni 4th’s
Slazenger Ladies 3s made the trip to Leeds University to face their fourth team in what proved to be a far sterner test than the side they met at the 10am slot at Slazenger the morning after the Halloween party!
From the pushback it was clear this would be a tight, competitive game. Both teams moved the ball well and looked dangerous in possession. Slazengers were delighted to welcome Jess Lockwood into the forward line for her senior debut — fresh from turning 13 earlier in the week. Jess showed no nerves at all, running tirelessly and putting constant pressure on the Leeds defence. She combined brilliantly with centre forward Caro Scofield, the pair exchanging clever passes and probing for openings.
The breakthrough came after 18 minutes. A perfectly weighted long ball from Lisa Minchella picked out Scofield, who controlled superbly as the Leeds goalkeeper charged out. With composure beyond measure, Scofield slipped the ball past the keeper just before being taken out, giving Slazengers a deserved 1–0 lead.
In midfield, Mollie Glover delivered an outstanding performance — strong on the ball, calm under pressure, and consistently finding quality passes forward to keep Slazengers on the front foot.
Leeds pushed hard for an equaliser, but goalkeeper Lauren Hattesley was equal to everything thrown at her, making confident clearances and organising her defence well. At half time, Slazengers led 1–0, but the game was very much still in the balance.
The second half saw Leeds pile on the pressure, but the Slazenger defence stood firm as a cohesive unit — tackling in twos, recycling and responding calmly to repeated attacks. Beth Buckley in particular showcased excellent first-touch tackling on numerous occasions, breaking down Leeds moves before they could fully develop.
Slazenger doubled their lead when a long, powerful ball from Stacey Drake found Scofield inside the D. Scofield skilfully skipped to the right before Justine Birkett coolly slotted the ball into the corner to make it 2–0. Despite continued pressure from Leeds, Slazenger held strong to secure a well-earned victory.
This was a fantastic all-round team performance, but special mention goes to the energy and skill of the junior players — Glover, Buckley, and Lockwood. An especially memorable senior debut for Jess Lockwood. Player of the Match deservedly went to midfielder Mollie Grover.
U14 Girls vs. City of York
Slaz produced a superb all-round performance to secure an impressive 0–6 victory away at York to end half term on a high. From the opening whistle, Slaz applied early pressure. Strong play down the right created the first opportunity which Edie converted to a short corner, Amelia’s shot was stopped on the line by a defenders foot, earning a penalty flick. She calmly converted to give Slaz a deserved 0–1 lead.
York attempted to respond with an attack down the right, but Lorna dealt with it confidently. Slaz were hunting in packs across midfield, winning possession quickly and moving the ball with purpose. Darcie’s high press forced errors, while at the opposite end Georgie made a brilliant defensive stop to prevent a York attack.
The pressure continued to build. Jess fired just wide after great team passing, and Tilda’s powerful driving runs kept York pinned back. Another burst from Amelia won a further short corner, though this time the effort was saved. Slaz doubled their lead before half time when Amelia broke forward and fed Ruth, who unselfishly squared the ball for Edie to finish from close range. Half Time: York 0–2 Slaz
Slaz came out determined to finish strongly. Early pressure earned a short corner, and slick passing between Addy, Amelia and Edie led to a well-taken third goal. Edie soon completed her hat-trick following a sharp counter attack, once again assisted by Ruth, extending the lead to 0–4. York battled hard and were awarded a short corner, forcing a couple of smart saves from Ami who had her second clean sheet of the weekend! Slaz quickly regained control. A flowing move from Jess to Edie and onto Darcie ended with a composed finish to make it 0–5.
The team moved to three defenders with Beth, Lorna and Tilda remained solid throughout, snuffing out any rare York attacks and setting up wave after wave of Slaz pressure. The sixth and final goal came from another excellent team move, finished confidently by Addy from the top of the D. Despite being six goals up, the team continued to attack, and near the end of the game, Amelia produced a moment of real quality, making an amazing run down the left on her reverse stick before delivering a dangerous cross into the D. Ruth met it well but just missed the goal by inches — a move that deserved to be on the scoresheet.
As the final whistle blew, Slaz walked off the pitch proud of a complete team performance and heading into next weeks England Hockey Championship game v Chester full of confidence. In the post-match votes, the opposition selected Edie as their player of the match, while Slaz voted Jess as our standout performer. A big thank you also goes to the umpires, Aidy and Bob, for keeping the game flowing smoothly.
U12 Boys A team Match Report – Division 3
Slazenger were dominant across the whole tournament and displayed their best team performance of the season. They won all 3 games (played across 2 legs, scores combined), scoring 15 goals and conceding only 2!
GK Nikolai although not called into action much, he gave the boys comfort that he was there when they needed him, only conceding 2 goals during the tournament. Playing outfield for the last game of the day, the team worked to try and get Nikolai a goal but it wasn’t to be. Harry S in defence made some outstanding tackles, created some great opportunities from long corners and found himself leading the attack down the right wing on numerous occasions.
Zach defended with authority, he went out to meet attacks, made numerous perfectly timed tackles and fed the ball up the pitch with accuracy, often leading the attack himself down the left wing. Alistair showcased his ball control and speed up and down the right wing; thwarting opposition attacks, creating and converting opportunities.
Trysten put in his best performance of the season out on the left wing closing down balls, making accurate passes and setting up numerous goals. Noah played a confident tournament of hockey in centre mid, distributing the ball effectively all over the pitch and made some mature hockey decisions, coming away with a few goals.
Matthew was constantly chasing down the oppositions defence, creating space upfront, intercepting passes and also managed to secure several goals for the team. Player of the tournament went to Noah for his all round play but mainly for his teamsmanship. Noah also got donut for being out muscled by the smallest player in the tournament and finding himself laid on the astro in the D.
U12 Boys B team Match Report — Division 4
It was a great day for the team with six matches, no defeats, five goals scored and only three conceded. The squad of eight rotated well throughout and every player made a real contribution. A big welcome to Freddie and Finley who both played their first tournaments today, and both settled in brilliantly.
Match 1 (0) vs. (0) Halifax
Calm, composed start. The team built patiently from the back with some nice link-up play between Alfie, Dom and Ewan. Dom caused problems with a great solo run that earned a short corner, and Harry’s shot was deflected with Alfie’s follow-up going just wide. Freddie was excellent defensively from the off — brave challenges and stuck tight to their attackers all game. Harry also made a great last-ditch block. Leon worked hard in the middle and Finley came on to add fresh legs. Solid start.
Match 2 (0) vs. (0) Bradford
The intensity went up a gear. Dom was scrapping for every ball, and the high press from Finley, Alfie and Ewan was really effective — winning it back in good areas repeatedly. Finley deserves a real shout here for the willingness to track back and defend, proper team-first stuff. Dom came close to breaking the deadlock and Ewan got a shot away. Freddie put in another cracking last-ditch tackle. Leon came on for Ewan and slotted in well. Jackson kept things tidy at the back.
Match 3 (2) vs. (1) Huddersfield Dragons
We went behind early but the response was spot on. Alfie hit a good ball from the sideline, Dom controlled it, beat his marker and finished well for his first. The pair combined again with some nice interplay and Dom finished clinically for his second. Probably the best passage of play all day. Ewan played some nice passes through the middle, Harry drove the ball up strongly from the 16 to Leon, and Freddie was solid at the back again. Finley rotated off but the shape held well. Deserved win.
Match 4 (1) vs. (1) Halifax
A proper contest. Jackson was important in this one — some key saves and great kicks from the back that kept us in it. Alfie’s spin and pass put Dom into the D but Finley couldn’t quite convert. Halifax scored a bit against the run of play but Ewan responded with a driving run into the D to equalise. Good passing all round, with Harry steady at the back and Freddie continuing to anchor the defence. Leon came on and helped keep things tight.
Match 5 (1) vs (1) Bradford
Tight game. Bradford won an early short corner but Dom made three excellent clearances to keep them out — real defensive effort from him. Jackson pulled off another important save before Bradford scored a well-worked goal. Harry played a smart reverse to Ewan who came agonisingly close on the post. Then Dom pounced when the Bradford keeper got the ball stuck in his pads — reacted quickest as it dropped. Finley rotated off but Leon and Alfie kept the pressure on. Gutsy draw.
Match 6 (2) vs. (0) Huddersfield Dragons
Best performance of the day. Dominant from the start with Finley, Alfie and Dom linking up well. Dom won two short corners in quick succession with Alfie stepping up to take them. Alfie also caused problems with a good dribble up the wing. Then Ewan delivered a sideline ball to Dom in the middle — great first touch, turned, and shot into the corner. Cracking goal. Ewan capped it off with a well-worked team goal to make it 2-0. Jackson, Harry and Freddie kept things locked down at the back. Confident way to finish.
Player of the Tournament — Freddie – Thoroughly deserved. Outstanding in every match — last-ditch tackles, brave challenges, and an ability to read danger before it developed. This was a really pleasing tournament to watch. Debut tournament for Unbeaten, good goals, solid defending, and every player pulling their weight. Well done to all eight players.
U12 Girls A Team Tournament Report
Match 1 (1) vs. (1) York
The girls came out strong, working hard up the pitch and showing solid defensive structure. Edie drove the ball wide and delivered a great cross into the circle, where Darcie found the back of the net to put Slaz 1–0 up. We nearly added a second goal after a goal-line scramble, but York managed to clear. In the final 30 seconds, York found a fortunate equaliser to make it 1–1. A well-battled match with particularly strong defensive work throughout.
Match 2 (0) vs. (0) Doncaster
A tightly contested game with strong defence on both sides. Both goalkeepers made some excellent saves to keep the score level. A competitive match and a well-earned draw.
Match 3 (0) vs. (2) Ben Rhydding
The team lost structure at times and struggled against strong attacking pressure. Although we created opportunities, we couldn’t convert them into goals. Ben Rhydding capitalised on their chances, leaving the final score at 2–0.
Match 4 (0) vs. (2) Thirsk
Facing a strong side, the girls showed great determination and resilience. An early strike put Thirsk ahead, followed by another soon after. Despite this, the team battled hard, with defenders making key blocks to prevent further goals. Whilst we created chances and managed to break through at times, we couldn’t quite find the back of the net, finishing 2–0 down.
Player of the Tournament – Frances – for some outstanding saves that kept the scoreline low and gave the team every chance in each game. A big thank you to Mark and Will for umpiring and for their continued support. The girls showed fantastic resilience throughout the day, working hard for each other and never giving up. Plenty to build on — well done everyone!
U12 Girls B Team tournament
It was another bright and early start for the B team, with their recent trip to Ilkley for their tournament.
Game 1 (0) vs (1) Huddersfield
Slaz started the tournament work their trademark first fixture speed. Unfortunately that’s meant that as a well drilled side, Huddersfield attacked hard and at pace. Matilda and Madison worked well at the back. Unfortunately stand in goalkeeper Florence was unable to stop Huddersfield from taking the lead with a well struck shot. However, the team continued to battle and looked to have equalised, but the shot went wide.
Game 2 (1) vs (3) Halifax 1
Halifax were a strong side and capitalised on some early possession to go ahead. Hollie had a strong game in midfield, and went close to scoring with a well taken strike. Penny showed some attacking threat down the right, and Tilly had an outstanding game keeping the left of midfield under control. When Hollie was injured, Madison stepped into midfield and was rewarded by getting the consolation goal. Unfortunately, even thought team battled to the final whistle, they were unable to find any further goals.
Game 3 (0) vs (0) Halifax 2
The second of the Halifax encounters was different. Slazenger came out quickly and controlled the game. However, a strong back line of Halifax denied any goals. Grace went close, but was unable to convert. Maya had a standout performance at the back and Florence made some crucial saves to keep the scoreline 0-0 at the final whistle.
Game 4 (2) vs (2) Huddersfield
With Wakefield withdrawing from the tournament at late notice, Huddersfield offered a final fixture to round off the day. This time, Slaz were warmed up and raring to go! Hollie, Penny and Madison were strong in the middle, with Grace looking threatening up front. Huddersfield went ahead with 2 well worked goals. However, Slaz worked back into the game showing great resilience. Maya, Matilda and Florence put in a strong performance at the back, while Penny was outstanding on the right; crossing the ball to Grace for her to beat the keeper at the back post. Then minutes later, taking the ball herself, beating the defenders and slotting the ball away. The game ended 2-2, which was a fair reflection of the game.
After a bit of a bumpy start, the team showed great resilience and ended with a fantastic performance! The player of the tournament went to Tilly for some fantastic defensive work who went from strength to strength through each game. Well done!
Big thanks to Rob for umpiring, and the parents for making another trek up to Ben Rhydding!
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