2026 Season – Week 1

Men’s 1st’s (4) vs. (3) Chapeltown 1st’s

To say the Men’s 1st team who assembled on Saturday was a bit rag tag, is an understatement. However, a bare 11 players assembled on the pitch, ready to go. It was a steady start for the home side, with Chapeltown looking aggressive on the break. However some solid work from the back line, including an impressive Harry Firth, and returning from injury captain Ben Stevenson ably mopped up, and kept the game evenly balanced goalless. Slazenger sat deeper to absorb the pressure, and hit Chapeltown on the break. Robin Brearton and Man of the Match, Jordan Ingham was effective at finding gaps in the Chapeltown defence and winning penalty corners. Slaz converted two of these opportunities through Asad Baig’s trademark penalty corner strikes.

Chapeltown were not going to go down without a fight, striking back with two of their own goals to keep the game deadlocked.

The second half was similarly closely matched. The makeshift midfield worked effectively, with Adam Fall, Dan Perry and Amir Khalil creating possession and attacking chances. Chapeltown continued to threaten and scored a third, as Slaz looked to be tiring. However, the game wasn’t done yet. A well worked attacking move allows Ian Hedges to setup Adam Fall at the back post to equalise. Jordan Ingham continued to cause trouble, drawing fouls from Chapeltown, finally resulting in a Chapeltown yellow card. With a man advantage, Slaz continued to press and Danny Perry was able to score the winner.

The final minutes were a tense affair, with a flagging home side mounting a rear-guard action to keep out Chapeltown and secure the win. A well earned 3 points to kick off the season.

Men’s 2nd’s (2) vs. (1) Chesterfield 2nd’s

Slazenger men’s 2nd team started their league campaign away at Chesterfield 2’s on Saturday. Slazenger were missing a number of key squad members and their usual slow start to the season allowed Chesterfield to take the lead midway through the first half. Slazenger play improved and although they created a number of chances, they were unable to find an equaliser in the first half.

The second half was a different story however firstly with an equaliser from Paul Wiper and a second from Jack Lee allowing Slazenger to end up on the right side of a 2-1 score line.

Dan Bailey and Jez Whawell both impressed when stepping up from the 3’s with Owen Wiper and Owen Coughtrey taking joint man of the match award.

Men’s 3rd’s (7) vs. (17) Sheepscar Rams 1st’s

The Slazenger 3s rolled into Sheepscar for what was supposed to be a routine Saturday afternoon fixture. Instead, they found themselves walking into what can only be described as Police Academy: Hockey Squad.

With neither side deploying a goalkeeper, the match immediately had all the defensive security of a police station with the doors left unlocked.

INCIDENT 1: SLazenger take control – Slazenger wasted no time establishing authority. 2–0. Two early goals put the boys firmly in command, and for a brief moment it looked like the Slazenger Police Department had everything under control.

But then came the first major breach.

Sheepscar responded with four unanswered goals, turning the situation on its head and leaving Slazenger staring at a 4–2 deficit.

The evidence was mounting. The defensive unit was being questioned. Several witnesses were unavailable for comment.

INCIDENT 2: THE COMEBACK – Rather than surrender, Slazenger launched a counter-operation. Bish stepped up with a hat-trick across the game, while Scott, Tim, John and Jack also got themselves onto the official incident report. The comeback was complete.

4–4.

At this point, both teams appeared to have forgotten that hockey is traditionally a sport where someone is supposed to stop the ball from going into the goal.With the scores level, the match was finely poised. Then Sheepscar discovered the accelerator.

INCIDENT 3: THE GETAWAY – What followed can only be described as a full-scale defensive escape operation. Sheepscar ran riot, piling on goal after goal as Slazenger struggled to contain the hosts. With no goalkeepers on either side, every attack increasingly resembled a high-speed pursuit, and unfortunately for Slazenger, Sheepscar had the faster getaway vehicle.

The final score:SHEEPSCAR 17–7 SLAZENGER – A staggering 24 goals were recorded, making this less of a hockey match and more of an open-house goal exhibition.

Despite the eventual scoreline, Slazenger showed plenty of attacking threat and character. Coming back from 4–2 down to make it 4–4 demonstrated exactly what the side was capable of before Sheepscar eventually broke clear.

OFFICER OF THE MATCH

There could only be one candidate. PC Josh takes Man of the Match for an outstanding performance at centre back. Despite what the scoreline suggests he saved it from being a whole lot worse.

Ladies 1st’s (1) vs. (3) Halifax 1st’s

the ladies 1sts travelled to Halifax for the first league fixture of the season. Despite some good play from the squad, Halifax were more clinical in goal and were able to dispatch 3 changes. #

Slaz can take heart from a strong performance, and a debut goal from Ruth Bullimore on her first appearance for the Ladies 1st’s. Slazenger travel to Pocklington 1st’s next week, looking for the first win of the season.

Ladies 2nd’s (4) vs. (2) Alford & District 1st’s

Our first game back of the new season and our first game with a whole new team and it was a great start! Alford & District came out strong from the off, putting us under pressure early. As the game settled, we found our composure and started playing some great end-to-end hockey.

A free hit gave us the opportunity, with Arina getting the final touch from a deflection to tap the ball into the goal. Just four minutes later, we doubled our lead. Ellie made a fantastic run up the left, taking it around two defenders before finding Jess, who finished brilliantly.

Alford came back at us with some strong attacks, but Lauren made several important saves, including an excellent one on one. The defence also did a great job defending two opposition short corners.

We continued to create chances, including a great run down the right from Molly to Jess, before finding our third goal. Molly found space down the right and played a great pass into Arina, who finished to score her second of the game. Alford managed to pull one back just before half-time, leaving us 3–1 ahead at the break.

The second half started with some excellent link up play, including some Great runs down the left. Both teams came out strong but Slaz were first to Score as the ball was passed to Courtney, who took it around several players before finding Ellie. Ellie produced a fantastic strike to make it 4–1.

We enjoyed a strong spell of possession and looked dominant, although Alford continued to have their moments. They eventually pulled another goal back from a free hit. The opposition then had a strong ten-minute spell with several attempts on goal, but the team worked incredibly hard to hold them off. Ellie also produced a brilliant solo run, taking the ball past four defenders. Overall, a fantastic first game for a completely new team.

Player of the Match Jess a fantastic performance from Jess and a well-deserved Player of the Match award! A unanimous decision! Gemma received every single vote for Tart of the Match including her own! A full house. Absolutely no arguing with that result. A brilliant first game and a fantastic start to the new season!

Ladies 3rd’s (1) vs. (4) City of York 4th’s

Slazenger 3s played their first league game of the season against a well-drilled York 4s side.

The game started evenly, with both teams holding their own during the opening 10 minutes. Slazenger attacked well and looked dangerous, with Sarah Sykes playing a clever, deep role and helping to create opportunities. However, it was York who took control and capitalised on their chances, going into half-time with a 3–0 lead. The score could have been even greater if it hadn’t been for some awesome saves from returning goalkeeper Gemma Wilson, who kept Slazenger in the game.

Slazenger responded brilliantly in the second half, pulling together and showing great team spirit. There were also two very exciting senior debuts, with juniors Lauren Wood and Izzy Armitage making their first appearances for the senior side. Both fitted seamlessly into the team and made a huge contribution.

Izzy impressed with her skill and pace down the left midfield, while Lauren demonstrated some excellent tackling and distribution, showing that both players are more than ready to make the step up. Defender Nicole Knox also produced a fantastic goal-line save to deny York, but unfortunately York managed to find the net again to extend their lead.

Slazenger continued to battle right until the final whistle. In the closing minutes, a long ball down the right found forward Caro Schofield, who timed her cross perfectly into the circle. Sarah was on hand in her favourite position and made no mistake, finishing confidently to give Slazenger a deserved goal. Final score: Slazenger 3s 1–4 York 4s.

Despite the result, there were plenty of positives to take from the game, particularly the strong second-half performance and the impressive senior debuts from Lauren and Izzy. Player of the Match was a very close contest between the two debutants, but Izzy Armitage just edged it to take the prize. A fantastic first senior game!

Ladies 4th’s (1) vs. (5) Cleckheaton 1st’s

Ladies 4s started the season with a short trip down the road to Cleckheaton. After taking an early lead through a goal from Evie, Cleckheaton quickly found an equaliser by converting a flick. Shortly after, they slotted a rebound from a short corner through the legs of the keeper to take the lead.

In the second half, Slaz struggled to keep up with Cleckheaton’s pace and skill, eventually driving away with a 5–1 defeat.

A lot to work on before the next game, but plenty to build on as the season continues.

Development’s (3) vs. (1) Barnsley 1st’s

Slazenger opened their first development fixture of the season with a confident and composed performance, blending new talent with seasoned experience to secure a 3–1 victory over Barnsley.

Quarter 1 – Debutants Harry R and Freddie W slotted in brilliantly as Slaz made a strong start against a very tall Barnsley side… it must be the great teas! More on that later… Play moved end-to-end early on, but Slaz defended a short corner superbly, with Noah clearing fearlessly. Minutes later, a Slaz short corner, injected by captain Georgie, was finished clinically by Noah to make it 1–0. Alistair was a constant threat down the right wing, showing that none of his skills have been lost over the summer break! His pace and attacking runs kept Barnsley’s defence busy and created plenty of opportunities for Slaz. Strong runs from Freddie and Cerys added to the pressure, while Georgie, Katie, Harry S and Harry R worked brilliantly as a defensive unit. All four made some excellent, well-timed tackles and interceptions throughout the game, helping to break up attacks and turn defence into attack.

Quarter 2 – An early short corner saw shots from Noah and Cerys saved, but Slaz kept pushing. Freddie’s drive into the D earned another short, although Barnsley defended well. Persistent pressure eventually paid off when Matthew forced the ball over the line after some determined battling from Freddie, Darcie and Cerys. The forward line of Matthew, Cerys and Darcie were relentless throughout, particularly whenever Slaz lost possession. They worked hard to put immediate pressure back on Barnsley, often winning the ball back quickly and giving Slazenger another opportunity to attack. Harry S also showed plenty of positive intent with some great runs forward, while Georgie, Katie, Harry S and Harry R continued to make important tackles and interceptions at the back. Darcie later struck the bar with a powerful shot… was this a sign of things to come?!

Quarter 3 – Alistair’s strong run earned an early short corner, which Darcie converted to make it 3–0. Barnsley responded with a strong spell of pressure, threatening in the D, but the Slaz defence stayed organised. Harry R, Harry S, Georgie and Katie all made well-timed challenges at important moments, helping to break up attacks and keep Slaz on the front foot. Darcie sent another shot across the face of goal and then things then took a turn for Mark, who earned himself a green card and a two-minute sit down to have a little think about his behaviour! Naturally, this outstanding contribution has earned Mark the prestigious Donut of the Day award.

Quarter 4 – The final quarter was more balanced with the Slaz team juniors playing without adult support. Slaz created chances through crosses from Matthew and Freddie but couldn’t quite convert, while a late Slaz short corner also went unfinished. Barnsley earned a final short corner in the dying seconds and managed to score a goal before the final whistle blew. Full Time: Slazenger 3–1 Barnsley.

A fantastic first development game from Slazenger, with clean, composed hockey throughout. There were plenty of positives to take, with every player contributing to a brilliant team effort. Player of the Match: Freddie – Freddie was fantastic throughout, making some really positive runs and putting in some great tackles. A thoroughly deserved Player of the Match! Donut of the Day: Mark – For obvious reasons.

And the real highlight… teas of champions at the end of a mysterious single-track lane into a business park ending at Nailmaker Brewing Co for CHIP BUTTIES! 10/10. A great first game, a great result and, most importantly, excellent teas. What more could you want from the first game of the season! Thanks Barnsley!