Men’s 1st’s (4) vs. (3) Chapeltown 1st’s
📋 Umpires: Trevor Armitage, Keith Stevenson
Slaz Mens 1s hosted Chapeltown in their last home of the season with both sides having little left to play for. Slaz started hot, putting together a slick passing move courtesy of Ben Jackson and Danny Perry, that Adam Fall coolly finished past the on-rushing keeper. Relentless Slaz pressure paid dividends, as Slaz added a further goal through an Emmett Fearn-manufactured assist for a Ben Jackson tap-in and further finishes from Jordan Ingham and Danny Perry.
Slaz went into the break 4-0 up and looking well in control of the game, leading to what was possibly the most moving half-time speech ever made by captain Ben Stevenson. Unfortunately the speech didn’t work, as Slaz ended up conceding 3 second half goals and left themselves with a nervy finish. Nevertheless, Slaz held out to win 4-3 and go into their final game of the season next week looking to finish on a high.
Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (0) Rotherham 2nd’s
📋 Umpires: Trevor Armitage, Simon Taylor
Saturday saw a welcome change to the 2nd team’s long run of away games. As much fun as it had been to travel to the farthest hockey pitches in Lincolnshire, the last home game of the season was very much welcomed. With the season coming to a close, there was a noticeable absence from some of the more elderly players, while on the pitch aches and groans were heard as the warm up started…
Slaz got going quickly and moved the ball around at pace. Rotherham had been hard to break down in the away leg, however some good passing and movement provided Richard Tuddenham with several chances in the early phases of the game. It was from one of these phases that Tuddenham netted his first; surprising everyone with a goal in open play. With a goal ahead, however, Slazenger began to play through the middle and Rotherham cancelled out the attacking threat.
Half time came and with it, wise words from Simon Chamberlain. The team came back on the pitch with renewed focus. Rotherham had their own ideas and threw players forward looking for an equaliser. Slazenger’s renewed efforts were rewarded when Ben Graham provided the through ball for Tuddenham to score a second. Minutes later, Tuddenham wrapped up his hat-trick with a third.
Rotherham continued to look for a consolation goal, but an incredible defensive effort, including a famously strong tackle from Adam Drake, and some saves from James Walker himself helped Walker to a clean sheet to top off the performance.
Next week, the 2’s wrap up their season with as 4 hour round trip to top of the league Lough 1st’s…
Men’s 3rd’s (1) vs. (3) Harrogate 4th’s
📋 Umpires: Ben Stevenson, Keith Stevenson
The sun hung low over Slazenger like a dusty frontier town waiting for trouble. The wind rolled across the pitch like a tumbleweed, and the Slazenger 3s stood ready on the wooden porch… sticks in hand, eyes narrowed toward the visitors riding in from Harrogate. Sheriff Sammy took his place between the posts, calm as a gunslinger who’d seen every trick in the book. In front of him stood the town’s defensive line: Simon, Trevor, Josh, and Dodge — four hard men guarding the border like a line of iron-clad deputies.
In the midfield saloon roamed Jez, Jack, and Aidy, stirring the dust and looking to deal trouble to anyone who crossed their path. Out on the wide prairie, Will, Scott, and Seth patrolled the wings, ready to ride down the flanks. And leading the charge up front were the outlaws Tim and Ryan, waiting for their moment to draw. It didn’t take long.
Five minutes in, the sound of the first shot rang out across the valley. A slick move up the field saw the ball roll kindly to Ryan, who stepped forward like a man drawing from the holster. Crack. The strike flew past the Harrogate keeper and into the back of the net. 1–0 Slazenger.
The home crowd roared like a frontier bar on payday. Slazenger had struck first. But Harrogate weren’t the sort to ride quietly out of town. They regrouped, circled back, and began pressing harder. The Slaz defence held firm for long spells — Simon, Trevor, Josh, and Dodge throwing themselves into tackles like men diving behind cover in a shootout. Behind them, Sammy stood tall in goal, pulling off save after save, batting shots away with the cool nerve of a veteran gunman.
Still, the visitors eventually found their opening and levelled the score before the break. The second half turned into a dusty duel. Midfield battles raged, with Jez, Jack, and Aidy scrapping for every inch of territory while the wingers kept galloping down the flanks looking for another opening.
But Harrogate’s guns kept firing. Two more strikes found their mark despite heroic resistance from the Slaz back line and more acrobatic stops from Sammy. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read: Slazenger 3s 1 – 3 Harrogate 4s. Defeat on the day, but not without grit, dust, and a fair few heroic stands.
And when the dust settled, there was no doubt about the day’s top gunslinger. With a string of outstanding saves that kept Slazenger in the fight far longer than the scoreline suggests, Man of the Match rode off into the sunset: Seth. The result may not have gone Slazenger’s way, but the town will ride again next week.
Men’s 4th’s (4) vs. (0) Huddersfield Dragons 4th’s
Slazenger 4s produced a clinical second-half performance to secure an impressive away victory over Huddersfield Dragons 4s, with John Sykes the standout performer after scoring a superb hat-trick.
The first half was closely contested, with both sides battling hard for control in midfield. Huddersfield Dragons looked to take advantage of home turf, pressing forward and trying to build attacks through the middle, but the Slazenger defence remained well organised and disciplined. At the other end, Slazenger created a few promising opportunities on the break but were unable to convert before the interval. As a result, the teams went into half-time with the score 0–0.
Slazenger came out strongly after the break and wasted little time making their mark. In the 41st minute, Sykes found space in the circle and finished confidently to break the deadlock and give the visitors the lead. The goal lifted Slazenger, who began to control possession and push Huddersfield back. In the 51st minute, Sykes struck again, finishing a well-worked move to double Slazenger’s advantage. Just a minute later, Sykes completed a memorable hat-trick in the 52nd minute with a spectacular finish. Picking up the ball out wide, he unleashed a powerful strike from range on a tight angle, catching the defence and goalkeeper off guard as the ball flew into the net.
With Slazenger now firmly in control, they continued to apply pressure and were rewarded again in the 62nd minute. The Slazenger captain added a fourth goal, finishing well after sustained attacking play in the Huddersfield circle to put the result beyond doubt. Huddersfield Dragons continued to battle until the final whistle, but Slazenger remained solid defensively to secure a well-earned clean sheet. A dominant second-half display, highlighted by John Sykes’ outstanding hat-trick, ensured Slazenger 4s returned home with a convincing and thoroughly deserved victory.
Ladies 1st’s (0) vs. (3) Pocklington 1st’s
On a glorious sunny afternoon that practically screamed ice cream weather, the Ladies 1s travelled to Pocklington hoping to scoop up some points. After an essential pre-match photoshoot featuring the full age spectrum of the squad — from the youthful 13-year-old to the experienced 41-year-old — the team decided it was probably time to warm up and actually play some hockey on what turned out to be a very bouncy pitch. With Eliz and Emma holding the defensive sundae together at centre back, flanked by Tilda at right back and Marissa at left back, Slaz looked solid early on. The back line made several good tackles and clearances to keep Pocklington at bay as the game began, supported by some good early saves from Ami in goal.
Slaz started brightly with plenty of early pressure. A short corner earnt by Alys led to a shot that was well saved by the keeper — the first scoop nearly served. In midfield, Zoe, Frankie, Amelia, Lucy and Becca worked hard to move the ball around and build attacks, while forwards Coops, Alys and Jess — making her Ladies 1s debut — looked to create opportunities up front. Despite the early pressure, Pocklington struck first to make it 1–0, after a shot wasn’t closed down quickly enough. Slaz continued to push forward though, with Frankie driving strongly into the D, but the attack melted away before a clear chance could form. At the back, Eliz and Emma stayed composed while Tilda and Marissa made several important tackles and strong clearances to stop further chances developing. Ami was also called into action again, making a couple of good saves to keep Slaz in the game.
Pocklington then added a second when an attacker was given time close to goal to strike, making it 2–0. Slaz responded with some lovely play down the left, Zoe and Amelia combining beautifully before pinging a ball into the D. The third goal came from a short corner, with the shot taking an unlucky deflection off a Slaz defender and trickling in. Slaz kept pressing though. Emma stepped forward to take a shot which earned a short corner, but the effort went just wide. Half time: 3–0
After a stern but motivating team talk from Hannah at the break, Slaz came out for the second half like a team promised unlimited ice cream. The defence of Eliz, Emma, Tilda and Marissa continued to put in solid tackles and clearances, allowing the midfield unit of Zoe, Amelia, Lucy and Becca to push higher and control much more of the play. Early pressure earned Slaz a short corner which Pocklington defended well, followed by another soon after.
Jess then produced a brilliant run up front but was taken down by a Pocklington defender, who was shown a yellow card. Slaz continued to press. Jess worked tirelessly up front and earned a free hit after a quick counter attack. The ball found Frankie who fired a first-time shot into a defender’s legs to win another short corner, again defended by Pocklington. The second half saw some of Slaz’s best hockey. Frankie produced some skilful play to win yet another short corner, but the keeper made a strong save. Jess continued causing problems for the defence, turning a defender inside out before being fouled to stop the attack. Coops then spun sharply and fired a quick snap shot that flashed just wide — a near scoop of success. Emma also had the final effort of the game, just missing the target. Despite dominating much of the second half and playing some excellent hockey across defence, midfield and attack, Slaz couldn’t quite find the goal their play deserved.
Final score: 3–0
Player of the Match: Jess – a brilliant Ladies 1s debut, working tirelessly in attack and causing constant problems for the defence. Tart of the Match: Shared between Alys and Coops for stepping into the D at a short corner, meaning poor Amelia as injector had to trot all the way back to the halfway line. With the sun still shining and spirits high despite the result, the team finished the day in the only appropriate way — stopping for some well-earned ice cream. Next week the Ladies 1s return home for the final game of the season, where they will be hoping to finish on a sweet note against Harrogate.
Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (4) Sheffield Phoenix 1st’s
Slazenger 2’s travelled to 2nd in the league Sheffield Phoenix for a tough battle. Slazenger were first to draw blood with a well executed penalty flick from Nicci Swinden. However Phoenix fought back with 2 goals in response. Slazenger pulled one back through a second Swinden flick. However, it was Phoenix who carried the day, cementing the result with a final goal before the whistle to make it 4-2.
Ladies 3rd’s (3) vs. (0) City of York 5th’s
Slazenger Ladies 3’s welcomed York 5’s for today’s fixture. It took a little time for Slazenger to settle into the game, and York looked to capitalise early on. A dangerous York attack almost resulted in a one-on-one with Slazenger keeper Lauren Hattersley, but central defender Nicole Knox showed superb awareness and pace, making a darting recovery run and a perfectly timed tackle to deny the opportunity. Knox continued to dominate at the back throughout the game, though Hattersley was still called into action with a brilliant full-stretch save in the air to keep the scoreline at 0–0.
As the half progressed, Slazenger began to find their rhythm. A well-worked move down the right created space at the top of the D, where Sian Glover collected the ball on her reverse stick and fired powerfully past the keeper into the backboard to give Slazenger the lead. The momentum carried into the second half as Slazenger continued to press forward. This time the attack built down the left, eventually finding Caro Schofield’s stick in the circle, and she made no mistake in powering the ball home to double the advantage.
Minutes later Schofield struck again, reacting quickest to Ellie Page’s shot and ensuring the ball crossed the line to make it three. One of the standout moments of the half came from defensive centre midfielder Lisa Minchella, who drove powerfully up the pitch and into the D. Rather than taking the shot herself, she cleverly drew the defender before slipping the ball across the face of goal towards the left post. Schofield dived in to meet it and narrowly missed connecting — full marks for the effort and attacking intent.
With solid defending, sharp goalkeeping, and clinical finishing, Slazenger comfortably saw out the game to secure a 3–0 win — a fantastic all-round team performance. Player of the Match deservedly went to Nicole Knox for her outstanding defensive display and crucial interventions throughout the match.
Development’s (0) vs. (2) Doncaster 1st’s
⭐ Player of the Match: Noah Saunders
No Report
U12 Boys’s (0) vs. (0) In2Hockey Cup Qualifers
No Report
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