Match Report

Slaz Mens 1s hosted Brigg on a wet saturday, hoping to build off a good win and clean sheet away the week prior.

And from the off, Slaz looked bright, building a number of good attacks through striker Jordan Ingham. After what he claimed counted as his goal (it was definitely an own goal) - Slaz took an early lead but failed to build on it.

And it would take a whole half before they managed to finally score another goal, this time with Ingham scoring a second after a good move with Amir Khalil. A smart first time finish from Ollie Leonard rounded off the scoring for the game and, in a stunning turn of events, Slaz kept out the opposition to ensure keeper Andy Loftus kept an unlikely second clean sheet in a row.

Slaz will have harder tests over the coming weeks, but can be happy with a handy 3-0 win and another clean sheet for Lofty.

Match Report

Slazengers men’s 2’s faced a tough game on Saturday away at 2nd placed Barnsley but put in a battling performance to come away with a 3-2 victory. Slazengers started brightly when Paul Wiper put them ahead with an old school ‘Flockton Bus’ penalty corner but Barnsley fought back well to equalise midway through the half. The game turned into a midfield battle before Jimmy Swindon put Slaz ahead just before the break with a top quality individual effort, beating a number of players before burying a finish past the helpless keeper.

The second half was a tough affair with both teams battling hard to create chances. Barnsley gained the upper hand when Slaz skipper Ste Roberts was green carded but the defensive unit held well against a man advantage. Back up to full strength, Slaz won a penalty corner, Swindon stepping up and capping a man of the match performance with a drag flick into the postage stamp. There was still time for Barnsley to pull another goal back leading to a nervous last 5 minutes but Slaz held on for the win.

A special mention goes to Maff Birkett who only realised Slaz had won when told in the car half way home.

Match Report

Slazenger 3s rolled into Aire Valley looking to extend their winning streak to four games, and the lads certainly weren’t leaving until they’d had their fill. The Slazenger Arms was open for business, the goals were on tap and three precious points were waiting to be pulled.

The visitors wasted no time getting the first round in. Just three minutes into the match, John found himself one-on-one with the keeper after a perfectly poured pass from Scott. John kept his cool, took the keeper on and slotted home to make it 1–0. A quality finish, served straight up.

Aire Valley weren’t prepared to let Slazenger drink them under the table, however, and equalised five minutes later. The game settled into a competitive affair seeing a green card for potty mouth Seth who muttered “for god sake”; before Tim restored Slazenger’s lead five minutes before half-time. John turned provider this time, laying the ball on a plate for Tim to finish and send Slazenger into the break with a 2–1 advantage.

The second half began with Aire Valley determined to spoil the party, and ten minutes in they pulled the score back to 2–2. The atmosphere was getting tense, the pints were running low, and Slazenger needed someone to step up behind the bar.

Step forward Tim, who decided a second helping was in order.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Slazenger won a short corner and worked it around beautifully. The move found Trevor, whose shot was saved by the keeper, but Tim was lurking in the perfect position to gobble up the rebound and fire Slazenger back in front at 3–2. Two goals for Tim, three points for Slazenger, and one very happy landlord.

The remaining minutes were spent protecting the lead, with the Slazenger defence putting in a shift worthy of a lock-in. Will was particularly outstanding at left back, producing an incredible performance to keep Aire Valley at bay. His efforts earned him Man of the Match, although the voting was a close-run affair, with Sammy, Jack, Simon and Tim all picking up a few votes of their own.

Then came the final whistle — or at least, what Slazenger assumed was the final whistle. One solitary blow rang out, seemingly for a foul, leaving the visitors standing around wondering why everyone had stopped playing. It took one brave player to ask the obvious question: “Is the game over?”

Thankfully, the answer was yes. Three points safely secured, no need to call last orders, and another victory added to the books.

Slazenger have now won four games in a row, scoring 18 goals and conceding just 4 in the process. The form is flowing nicely, the defence is keeping things tidy, and the Slazenger Arms is becoming a very difficult pub to leave with anything other than an empty glass.

Final score: Aire Valley 3s 2–3 Slazenger 3s

🍻 Goals: John, Tim ×2

🏆 Man of the Match: Will

📈 Winning streak: 4 in a row

🍺 Recent record: 18 scored, 4 conceded

Same time next week? Landlord’s round!

Match Report

🎃👻 SLAYED BY THE SPOOKY SPIRIT OF CHESTERFIELD! 👻🎃

It was a Halloween horror show for the Slazengers 4s as they welcomed a terrifyingly strong Chesterfield side, who eventually ran out 4–1 winners in a match that turned into a real fright night! 🦇

Slazengers started the game like a team possessed, striking early to take the lead and sending a shiver down the spines of their visitors. For a moment, it looked like Chesterfield might be in for a nightmare of their own!

But alas, the visitors soon began to unleash their dark powers, mounting wave after wave of attacks that threatened to haunt the Slazengers defence. Despite their best efforts, the relentless Chesterfield onslaught proved too much to contain, with four goals eventually condemning the 4s to a spooky defeat.

Credit must go to the entire Slazengers back line, who stood firm like fearless monster hunters against a seemingly endless army of attackers. They battled bravely, threw themselves into challenges and refused to let the occasion become a complete horror story.

🎃 MAN OF THE MATCH: NATE ARMITAGE 🎃

A special mention goes to Nate Armitage, who earned Man of the Match honours for his outstanding performance in the midst of the chaos. While the night may have belonged to the ghosts of Chesterfield, Nate certainly gave them a fright!

In the end, Slazengers were left picking up the pieces after a 4–1 defeat against a very strong Chesterfield outfit. The early promise was there, the fighting spirit never disappeared, and the back line battled until the final whistle.

🧛‍♂️ Final verdict: A frightening afternoon for the Slazengers 4s, but there were plenty of positives to take away. Time to regroup, sharpen the stakes and make sure the next opponents are the ones having nightmares!

Match Report

A great 3–1 win for the Ladies 1s today against a strong and well-organised Chesterfield side!

Chesterfield had some key players in the middle and looked dangerous down their right-hand side. It took Slaz a little while to settle into the game, but we soon found our feet and got the first goal. Credit to Frankie Tyrell, whose short-corner effort took a deflection and found the back of the net! 💥 The defence worked well with some great transfers around the back to open up space, while Erin was commanding in goal and made some great saves when called upon. Slaz went into half-time with a 1–0 lead.

Following a strong team talk, Slaz came out in the second half with the press stronger than ever, cutting off Chesterfield’s options and winning high balls to create counter-attacking opportunities.

Chesterfield did equalise early in the second half to make it 1–1, reminding us of the importance of picking up and marking players as they flooded the D. Shortly afterwards, Hannah Field picked up her second green card of the season! 💚

Slaz responded well, and a short corner provided the opportunity for Emma to absolutely cream the ball from the top of the D to put us back in front at 2–1! 🚀

With just minutes remaining, Ruth picked up the ball around the halfway line and ran her little legs off down the sideline before finding Frankie in the top-right corner. Frankie then found Hannah in the D, who fired the ball top bins to seal the 3–1 win! 🔥

🏆 Player of the Match: Zoe for all the running she put in today — surely more than 4.5km! She also picked up the Tart Award for using a bib to dry herself after her shower, having forgotten her towel. 😂

A solid team performance and three well-earned points for Slaz!

Up the Slaz! 💚🤍❤️

Match Report

Slaz started brightly, putting Wakefield under early pressure and earning a short corner, although the chance went begging. The game quickly became end-to-end, with both sides creating opportunities and Slaz defending well to keep Wakefield out from their own short corner. Wakefield took the lead after seven minutes, working the ball nicely through midfield before finding the back of the net. Slaz responded well, with Izzy producing a brilliant goal-line clearance to deny Wakefield a second.

The equaliser soon followed! A great tackle from Courtney won possession back, Lucy fed the ball into Mia, who made no mistake to bring Slaz level at around the 12-minute mark. From there, Slaz grew into the game, linking up well across defence, midfield and attack, moving the ball around confidently and keeping Wakefield on their toes. Some excellent defending from the Slaz short-corner unit kept Wakefield at bay, including two more well-defended corners before the break.

Slaz came out for the second half determined to push on, applying plenty of pressure and making some strong tackles through Arina, Courtney and Jess. Mia produced a great interception from a Wakefield hit-out and was unlucky not to turn it into a goal. At the other end, Slaz won a short corner, with Stacey's excellent strike narrowly missing the target. Slaz continued to put Wakefield on the back foot, moving the ball well and looking dangerous going forward. As the game entered the final 10 minutes, however, Wakefield began to apply pressure of their own. Lauren was called into action with some great saves to keep Slaz in the game, while both teams continued to battle through some end-to-end hockey.

With seven minutes remaining, Wakefield were awarded a flick after Ni stopped the ball on the line with her foot. Lauren came up trumps once again with a fantastic save! Ni then made another important contribution, producing a great run-out to shut down a Wakefield short-corner opportunity. There was still time for some lovely attacking play, with Maisie causing problems down the line in what Courtney described as “sexy play”! Slaz won one final short corner with just two minutes left, but unfortunately couldn't find the winner.

A hard-fought 1–1 draw, with plenty of positives to take away. Slaz showed great teamwork, some excellent passing combinations and real determination at both ends of the pitch. Special credit to the defensive unit and Lauren for standing strong under late pressure, while Mia's well-worked equaliser ensured the points were shared.

Match Report

Slazenger Ladies 3s welcomed Spen Valley to home turf this week for a competitive encounter that saw end-to-end hockey, some fantastic saves and plenty of determination from the home side.

The game got off to a lively start, with both teams working hard to create opportunities. Gemma Wilson’s quick feet and sharp reactions were keeping Slazenger in the game at one end, while Ellie Page’s driving runs up the pitch caused problems for the Spen Valley defence. Ellie came close on several occasions, but the opposition goalkeeper proved difficult to beat, denying her multiple times. Despite Slazenger’ efforts, Spen Valley went into half-time with a two-goal advantage.

In the second half Slazengers kept their shape and made better use of the width, the ladies began to build more pressure and push higher up the pitch in search of a way back into the game.
Their persistence paid off when they were awarded a short corner. Lisa Minchella received the ball, skilfully moved it to the left around a defender and unleashed a superb reverse-stick strike that found the backboard, reducing the deficit and giving Slazengers a well-deserved boost.

Gemma Wilson was once again called into action, producing a series of fantastic saves to keep Slazenger within touching distance. Her outstanding performance earned her the team’s Player of the Match vote. Slazengers continued to press hard in search of an equaliser . However, it wasn’t to be, as Spen Valley finished the game with a flurry of short corners. The Slazengers defence stood firm, successfully defending every one to prevent any further goals.

Although the points escaped them this week, there were plenty of positives to take from the spirited team performance. Next week, Slazenger Ladies 3s travel to face Skipton, where they’ll be looking to build on these positives and secure their first points of the season. Keep going, ladies we can do it!!

Match Report

No report available.

Match Report

Our development team beat Lindum 6-4, with goals from Amelie and Darcie (two each), Noah and Katie.

Lindum started with some early pressure, but Noah gave us the lead after four minutes. Alastair won a short corner and Katie went close twice, and Amelie finished from the left for our second. Freddy, Cerys, Etta and Harry S did sterling work in defence and midfield, giving Lindum very little time in our half, and Matthew had two shots just wide. Darcie scored from our second short corner, then finished coolly from a great ball through from Noah, and Amelie got her second after a well worked move from Matthew and Alastair. Lindum pulled one back with a powerful strike down their right, but Katie made it 6-1 when she nicked the ball off a Lindum player in the D. Alastair battled hard on the right all half, Ella came on to play on the left, and Nikolai had so little to do in goal that a kick out after 25 minutes was only his second touch.

We started the second half with no adults on the pitch, and the juniors did really well. Georgie and the defence soaked up a lot of Lindum pressure, and Nikolai made a great save from a well struck shot and another later on. Cerys forced a save from the Lindum keeper after a lovely ball through from Noah, and Darcie was unlucky not to get a third. Lindum scored three times in the half, the last against the run of play, and Oli and Mark came on late as our supporting adults as we saw the game out 6-4.

🏆 Players of the Match: Katie, Harry S and Amelie

🍩 Donut of the Day: Ella, who forgot her stick bag and turned up in her red kit!

A great team performance, and seeing the juniors take on so much of the game themselves bodes well for the season. Nikolai, as ever, found time to lie down for the team photo. Thank you to the coaches for leading the team, and to everyone who came to support.

Match Report

Slazenger Under 18s travelled to York on a sunny Sunday morning for their National Cup fixture, hoping to put in a strong performance against tough opposition who made the national finals last season and had international experience up front. Unfortunately, it was a difficult start for the visitors, with York scoring twice in the opening two minutes. Slaz struggled to find their rhythm from that point onwards, as York took full advantage and the goals continued to come at a fast pace. Despite their efforts, Slazenger found themselves 5–0 down at half-time.

A few tactical tweaks during the break brought some improvement in the second half, with Slaz showing greater resilience and working hard to get back into the game. However, the damage had been done in a disappointing first-half performance, and York continued to add to their tally, eventually running out 8–0 winners. Despite the score-line, there were some individual performances worth recognising. George produced several impressive saves in goal to prevent the score from climbing even higher, while Aleks and Owen worked hard up front to try to create opportunities for the visitors.

Evan and Ollie put in a shift out wide, while Will, Harry and Isaac battled tirelessly in defence as they faced wave after wave of York attacks. In midfield, Seth, Chris, Owen and Jack worked hard to compete and support the team at both ends of the pitch. It was a tough lesson for the Slazenger side, but one they can learn from as they look to regroup, build on the improvements shown after the break and come back stronger in their next fixture.

Match Report

Our U16 girls were away at Sheffield in the cup, and it finished 4-0 to Sheffield. Emily, Lorna, Tilda and Izzy were joint players of the match. Emily stepped up in goal and made some cracking saves to keep the score down. In front of her, Tilda was in control of the defence at centre back, organising the back line and dealing with a lot of Sheffield's attacks. Lorna was solid at left back, defending well and helping move the ball out from the back, and Katie, Etta and Georgie shared right back and all put in a good shift there.

Amelia, Mollie and Jess controlled the central midfield, working hard to win the ball back and keep it moving. Izzy, Amelie and Katie worked the wings, getting forward to support the attack and tracking back to help the defence, and Izzy kept doing that all game. Ruth led the attack with Cerys and Ella, and the three of them pressed high throughout, putting Sheffield under pressure and giving their defenders little time on the ball. Despite the result we had threats on goal and were unlucky not to score.

Good luck to Sheffield in the next round, and there's plenty for this team to build on going into the plate competition. Donut of the Day went to Katie, who lost a baby tooth mid-game! Thank you to the coaches for leading the team, and to everyone who came to support.

Tournament Match Report

U8 Mixed Match Report 💚🏑

Our U8s took two teams to Leeds Adel for a five-team tournament of 10-minute games against Adel 1, Adel 2 and Harrogate, and the two teams got to play each other too. It was a morning of lots of fun and some really close games.

Slaz 1

Slazenger (0) vs. (3) Harrogate
A tough start against Harrogate but plenty of hustle from everyone. Edward hit the ball well throughout and he and Trixie both dribbled well, Logan and Alana held their positions, and Logan intercepted well. Miller was composed on the ball, Libby passed well, and Ethel passed and tackled well in defence.

Slazenger (1) vs. (1) Slazenger 2
Next was the all-Slaz game, and it finished 1-1, with Edward scoring for Slaz 1 and Alfie for Slaz 2. There was good tackling and lots of effort from both teams. Alana defended really well, Ethel passed the ball out well from defence, and Trixie was a pocket rocket all game with some good turns.

Slazenger (0) vs. (1) Adel  1
A close game, settled by an Adel goal in the last minute. Edward ran the play from the middle and got shots away, Miller came close to scoring and tackled well, and Ethel was solid at the back.

Slazenger (0) vs. (1) Adel 2
Another close one, with Adel 2 scoring the only goal. Alana pushed forward well and made some good runs, Logan ran well with the ball, and Libby tackled well and held her position in defence. Miller tackled and passed well, finding Alana going forward, and Edward and Trixie kept finding space.

Slaz 2

Slazenger 2 (1) vs. (1) Slazenger 1
The all-Slaz game came first for Slaz 2, and Alfie scored after a quick pass. Isabel passed well and kept calling for the ball in space, Maisie got stuck in and was always ready for the ball, Sophie tackled well and looked up for space, and Oscar got stuck in with some great tackling.

Slazenger 2(0) vs. (0) Adel 2
A 0-0 with some good defending. Evelyn and Maisie defended really well, Oscar was strong at the back and hit some powerful passes forward, and Bea tackled well. Isabel and Alfie were quick down the wing and both got stuck in.

Slazenger 2 (0) vs. (1) Adel 1
A tight one, with Adel 1 scoring the only goal. Isabel passed well and kept finding space down the wing, Alfie got stuck in and looked for space, and Evelyn defended well again. Bea was always looking for the pass, Maisie was quick and ready for the ball, and Sophie got stuck in.

Slazenger (0) vs. (0) Harrogate
The last game finished 0-0. Sophie came close to scoring and kept looking for space, Isabel kept calling for the ball, and Alfie was quick and passed well. Bea worked really well for the team, and Evelyn and Oscar defended well, with Oscar playing some great balls forward.

Lots of good hockey and plenty of effort from everyone, and the future looks bright for our U8s. A big thank you to our coach for leading the whole U8 group on her own, to Noah and Matthew from our U12s for umpiring all morning, and to everyone who came to support.