Match Report

After a slip week, Slaz mens 1s hosted Harrogate at home on Halloween, hoping to avoid a spooky result befitting of the calendar.

And in unseasonably warm weather, Slaz stuttered throughout a disjointed first half. Slaz frankensteined together some decent chances, but neither managed to put any of them away. At half time it became clear this was going to be a game of few goals.

And after spells of good pressure in the second-half, Slaz finally took the first chance, going one-nil up when a well-worked short corner fell to Mark Swinden at the far post. And in a tight game, the first goal, like Dracula, sucked the life out of the opposition.

With the deadlock broken, Slaz made their further pressure pay through another penalty corner goal by Keith Leonard. Despite further pressure, and a number of promising counter-attacks, Slaz were unable to score again.

Special mentions go to Ben Jackson for an open-goal miss from a yard out that was scarier than anything you'd have seen trick-or-treating and keeper Andy Loftus for a frankly unprecedented third clean sheet before Christmas.

Rumour has it he hasn't stopped smiling since the final whistle...

Match Report

Slazenger 2nd's hosted bottom of the league side Doncaster 4th's. In the end, the game played out as anticipated, with Slazenger netting 8 against the visitors. The result cements the 2nd's team's position 4 points clear at the top of the league. Goals came from Richard Tuddenham (7) and Paul Wiper picking up the eighth to round off a successful afternoon.

Match Report

🎃 THE SLAZENGER SLAUGHTER: A HALLOWEEN HORROR STORY 🔪

The Halloween horrors descended on Slazenger HQ as the Sheepscar Rams arrived looking to spoil the party. What followed was a real tale of two halves...

The horror started almost immediately, as Sheepscar struck in the opening minutes to draw first blood. Slazenger were briefly on the back foot, but ten minutes into the match, Seth Hoole emerged from the shadows to equalise. Unfortunately, the Rams struck twice more, once from open play and once from a short corner, leaving Slazenger staring into the abyss at 3–1 down. The first half quickly descended into a Halloween bloodbath, with hard tackles flying in from both sides and tempers beginning to boil over. The umpires were kept busy as the game grew increasingly feisty, and Slazenger headed into half-time needing something special to escape the clutches of defeat.

Whatever Slazenger consumed at half-time, it clearly wasn’t pumpkin soup. The home side emerged for the second half calm and composed with revenge on their minds, scoring five goals in the opening fifteen minutes to turn the match completely on its head. First, John Sykes pounced on a rebound after Scott Carruther's initial effort was saved, making it 3–2 and giving the home crowd a glimmer of hope. However, Sykes wasn’t finished there. After being brought to the ground by a Sheepscar defender who appeared more interested in taking him out than winning the ball, Slazenger were awarded a penalty flick. Sykes stepped up and dispatched it with ruthless precision to make it 3–3.

The Rams were beginning to realise they were in fact trapped inside Slazenger’s haunted house. Next came Aleks Thopmson, who was played through on goal by Hoole following a brilliant run from Jack Sanderson. Thopmson kept his composure and finished to give Slazenger the lead for the first time. Captain Carruthers joined the carnage, running onto a perfectly weighted pass from Thompson before slotting the ball through the keeper’s legs. The Rams’ defence had officially become a horror-show attraction. Finally, Thompson struck again to make it 6–3 and capping off a devastating Slazenger comeback. With five goals in fifteen minutes. The visitors had gone from hunting their prey to desperately searching for the exit.

Unfortunately, the hockey horror took a darker turn in the 55th minute. A less-than-perfect tackle from Simon on the edge of the Slazenger D resulted in a Sheepscar short corner and a yellow card for Simon. However, before the short corner could be taken, tensions boiled over when Sheepscar players became involved in a heated exchange, displaying aggression towards Slazenger players and threatening to turn the match into something far uglier than a hockey fixture should be. In the end, the game never resumed and the umpires brought proceedings to an end, leaving the score at 6–3 to Slazenger.

While the goals grabbed the headlines, Dan Bailey earned Man of the Match for his relentless work rate, constantly chasing the ball and putting in the hard yards throughout a difficult and heated contest. A special mention must also go to the younger members of the squad — Aleks, Seth, Jack, Will, Harry and Sammy — who kept their focus, continued working hard and helped drag Slazenger over the line in a very tricky match. Their composure under pressure was particularly impressive given how the game unfolded.

Six wins in a row, a three-goal comeback, five second-half strikes in fifteen minutes, and a match that ended before the final whistle could properly settle the score. The moral of the story? Never count Slazenger out at half-time — because sometimes the real horror begins after the break. 👻

Match Report

Prologue: The Coming of the Dragons

And it came to pass upon Horbury Field that the tribe of Slazenger gathered in readiness, their spirits sharpened and their garments but one bright. And behold, from the distant hills of Huddersfield came the Dragons, travelling in a humble caravan of eleven — six wise men seasoned in the mysteries of the game, guiding five younger males who followed as disciples through the wilderness. And the Wisest among Slazengers looked upon the visitors and declared that the day would be one of scripture, revelation, and deliverance.

THE ELEVEN PSALMS OF HORBURY FIELD

Psalm 2 — Verse 25 - And Mark, disciple of the twenty‑fifth garment, lifted his stick in the second minute, and the first blessing was bestowed unto Slazenger. The Dragons beheld this early strike, and their hearts were stirred, for the scripture of the day had begun.

Psalm 22 — Verse 25 - And Mark, disciple of the twenty‑fifth garment, rose again in the twenty‑second minute. His strike was as a rod of certainty, and he delivered the second blessing unto Slazenger. The Dragons were humbled, for Mark’s word carried power.

Psalm 25 — Verse 108 - And Nate, disciple of the one‑hundred‑and‑eighth garment, stepped forth in the twenty‑fifth minute. His strike was as a bolt of revelation beyond the realms of reach to the bottom right of the padded disciple in the Dragons goal, thus the third blessing was delivered unto Slazenger. The Dragons looked on in awe, for a new disciple had spoken with youthful strength.

Psalm 29 — Verse 19 - And Andrew, disciple of the nineteenth garment, stepped forth in the twenty‑ninth minute. His strike was as a hammer upon the anvil, and the fourth blessing was delivered unto Slazengers. The Dragons bowed their heads before his firm scripture.

Psalm 47 — Verse 39 - And Alex, disciple of the thirty‑ninth garment, rose in the forty‑seventh minute. His strike was as a spear of clarity, piercing the Dragons’ defence, and the fifth blessing was delivered unto Slazengers.

Psalm 49 — Verse 25 - And Mark, disciple of the twenty‑fifth garment, rose yet again in the forty‑ninth minute. His strike was as a flame rekindled, burning bright upon the altar of Horbury Field. And thus, the sixth blessing was delivered, and the Dragons grew weary beneath his scripture, with both his dominance through the middle of this field, but more wary of his dull, simple and unkept aroma omitted from his 25th garment.  A wise disciple who travels often, his previous during a torrid opening of the heavens, from which a fast of cleansing occurred creating the mustiness left in his wake.

Psalm 57 — Verse 25 - And Mark, disciple of the twenty‑fifth garment, rose once more in the fifty‑seventh minute. His strike was as a trumpet blast upon the hillside, shaking the Dragons’ resolve. And thus the seventh blessing was delivered, and Mark’s word became a pillar of triumph.

Psalm 59 — Verse 19 - And Andrew, disciple of the nineteenth garment, rose in the fifty‑ninth minute. His strike was as a final trumpet sounding across Horbury Field, and the eighth blessing was delivered unto Slazengers.

Psalm 61 — Verse 92 - And Jonny, disciple of the ninety‑second garment, rose in the sixty‑first minute. His strike was as a lantern set upon a high place, casting light across the field. And thus the ninth blessing was delivered, shining with clarity and purpose.

Psalm 63 — Verse 19 - And Andrew, disciple of the nineteenth garment, rose in the sixty‑third minute. His strike was as a seal upon the scroll, binding the tenth blessing to the scripture of Slazengers.

Psalm 66 — Verse 76 - And Paul, disciple of the seventy‑sixth garment, rose in the sixty‑sixth minute. His strike was as a final stone cast by the faithful, sealing the eleventh blessing upon Horbury Field. And thus the scripture was completed, and the Dragons bowed beneath the fullness of Slazengers’ deliverance.

And when the eleventh blessing had been sealed, the tribe of Slazengers gathered under the guidance of Andrew, disciple of the nineteenth garment, whose wisdom had shone throughout the contest. For he was counted among the Wisest, and his voice carried the authority of one who shepherds both victory and spirit.

Match Report

Walkover awarded to Slazenger as Scarborough were unable to raise a side.

Match Report

No report available.

Match Report

Slazengers 3s travelled to Halifax on Saturday to take on their Ladies 2s, who were sitting mid-table, in what proved to be a closely contested and competitive game.

The midfield battle was particularly strong, with Phe Secker and Lisa Minchella holding the middle brilliantly, helping Slazengers maintain their shape and compete for possession throughout. The whole team worked tirelessly for one another, putting together some really good passages of play and showing great determination across the pitch.

Unfortunately, Halifax managed to break the deadlock in the first half, converting from a short corner to take a 1–0 lead.

Slazengers came out fighting in the second half and produced some excellent defensive work, with goalkeeper Gemma Wilson at the heart of it all, making several fantastic saves with her quick reactions. At the other end, Ellie Page made multiple driving runs forward, causing the Halifax defence plenty of problems. Despite creating some promising opportunities and coming close on several occasions, Slazengers just couldn't quite find the back of the net.

The final whistle brought a 1–0 defeat, but the scoreline certainly didn't reflect the effort, determination or quality of the Slazengers performance.

A fantastic team effort all round, with plenty of positives to take away. Just a shame we couldn't find the goal our performance deserved! Player of the match went to our outstanding keeper Gemma Wilson.

Match Report

Still aching from the previous day's game, which had been played with just 12 players, Slazenger Ladies 3s made the trip to Weetwood to take on a spritely Leeds University 2s in a rearranged Sunday fixture. What could possibly go wrong?!

Well, quite a lot, as it turned out!

Just before pushback, our  goalkeeper Lauren Hattersley took an unexpected tumble, resulting in a split lip and an emergency trip to A&E for some glue rather than her usual spot between the posts. After several frantic and unsuccessful last-minute phone calls to find a replacement keeper, it was time for Plan B.

Step forward Player of the Match, defender Lucy England, who bravely volunteered to pull on the goalkeeper's kit just minutes before the whistle. Plenty of time to mentally prepare, but absolutely no time to warm up!

Meanwhile, striker Caro Schofield, who had earned herself the nickname 'The Joker' the previous evening, was already having a difficult Sunday. Feeling rather unwell during the warm-up, she decided that a quiet moment behind a tree was preferable to the usual pre-match routine. Not quite the team talk we had planned!

The match got underway and it quickly became apparent that Slazenger had their work cut out. Leeds University started strongly, scoring two relatively soft goals in the opening minutes and putting Slazenger firmly on the back foot. They were a well-drilled, skilful side who moved the ball confidently and attacked as a unit.

Emotions were running high, and Ellie Page showed her fiery side, becoming increasingly frustrated during play. Wisely deciding to take herself off for a breather before the umpire made that decision for her, she took a moment to regroup on the sidelines.

Leeds continued to put the pressure on and added two more impressive goals before half-time, leaving Slazenger with a 4-0 mountain to climb. The second half saw Slazengers dig deep, despite tired legs and a growing appreciation for the luxury of having a full squad! The defensive unit of Sarah Richey, Nicole Knox, Stacey Drake, Zoe Searson Phe Secker and Lisa Minchella worked tirelessly, closing down play, making crucial tackles and clearing danger from the D.

Once she'd found her feet (and hopefully warmed up a little!), stand-in keeper Lucy England put in an excellent performance. Making some great saves, commanding her D and looking remarkably comfortable for someone who hadn't expected to be playing in goal that afternoon. A huge thank you, Lucy!

Despite being under sustained pressure, Slazengers defended resolutely throughout the second half and managed to keep Leeds at bay. Unfortunately, a short corner right at the final whistle gave Leeds one last opportunity, which they converted to make the final score 5-0.

A tough result against a very strong university side, but plenty of determination and some excellent defensive work to take away.

Match Report

Slazengers L4s Battle to a Hard-Fought Point Against Unbeaten Batley L1s

Slazengers were under immediate pressure against an undefeated Batley side, nearly going behind in the opening few minutes. Luckily, Erin Haigh was on hand between the posts to save the day!

At the back, Michelle Adams worked tirelessly to steady the ship, alongside Sarah Paveley, Jess Morris and Poppy Thackrah, who put themselves in the firing line to meet Batley's attacks and regain some control. Slazengers eventually managed to turn defence into attack, but unfortunately the move ended without a goal and with an injured player, leaving Slaz to face the remainder of the match with just 10 players.

May Bailey put in a solid performance in centre midfield, doing a fantastic job of disrupting Batley's usual dominant midfield play and preventing their centre midfielder from dictating the game.

Despite being a player down, Slazengers came out for the second half full of confidence. Louise Duncan and Julie Bailey drove the ball forward down the wings, feeding some excellent balls through to Cerys Wiper and Mandy Greenwood, who kept the Batley defence under relentless pressure.

The final few minutes were certainly nerve-wracking, as Slazengers found themselves defending THREE consecutive short corners at the final whistle. With nerves of steel, Erin Haigh pulled off some fantastic saves, and Batley's third attempt sailed wide, allowing Slazengers to walk away with a hard-fought and well-deserved point!

A fantastic first performance from Louise Duncan, and a huge thank you to Erin Haigh for stepping into goal and producing an outstanding performance between the posts.

Final Score: Batley L1s 0–0 Slazengers L4s

A brilliant team effort, plenty of determination and a point earned against the unbeaten opposition. Well done, Slaz! 🏑

Match Report

Our development team beat Chesterfield 4-1, with two goals from Matthew, our player of the match, and one each from Cerys and Noah. Tony, Jimmy and Owen were our supporting adults.

We made a great start, attacking strongly and solid in defence, and after some strong attacks Noah sent the ball in from outside the D, past a few defenders, for Cerys on the post to give us the lead after eight minutes. A short corner went just wide, then Matthew made it 2-0 after 12 minutes when he took the ball with his back to goal, turned and shot through the keeper's legs. In the second quarter Alistair crossed to Matthew out wide in the D, and he hit a shot from a tight angle straight into the back corner, so we went in at half-time 3-0 up.

Chesterfield pushed in the third quarter and pulled one back with a strong ball into a player in a gap. We kept up some nice play down the sides and had more great strikes at goal, but Chesterfield defended them well. In the last quarter we moved the ball better across the full pitch, using the full width and creating space, and from another short corner Matthew pushed out for Noah to strike it straight in for 4-1. Jackson, in goal, kept Chesterfield to the one goal. The links down the right between Noah, Freddie, Alistair and Matthew were lovely to see all game, and Georgie, Katie and Cerys linked up really well too.

Player of the Match: Matthew, for his two great goals, pressing hard up front and driving the ball forward

Donut of the Day: Owen, who started on the wrong side of the pitch after Chesterfield's goal!

A good win, and the way everyone linked up across the pitch gives the team a lot to take into the next game. Thank you to the coaches for leading the team, and to everyone who came to support.

Match Report

Driffield hosted the U16 clash, and with high hopes for another win the Slaz girls were ready! The girls dominated the game from the outset with high pressing and pressurising the opposition.

Showing determination and teamwork the girls pressed Driffield hard. Against the run of play Driffield broke forward and secured a short corner which was converted. 1-0 to the home team.

The girls continued their impressive play with Amelia making bursting runs through the middle and Mollie and Izzy expertly working the wings. Lorna regained possession in defence passing through to Jess who picked out Mollie on the wing who passed into Ruth who expertly slotted away into the corner! Slazenger bringing it back to level 1-1. The first half remained pretty much in Driffield's defensive third with multiple shots on goal from Erin, Cerys, Ruth, Amelia, Mollie and Izzy. To Driffield's keeper's credit there were some good saves to keep Driffield in the game.

Half time match talk was to keep doing the same as we were, and keep the press and movement into the second half.

Slaz responded with constant pressing forward getting bodies in the D and looking dangerous moving forward with Jess bursting through and linking up with Ruth, Mollie and Izzy on the wing. Beth, Lorna and Tilda holding the defensive link and getting the opportunity to push forward which was brilliant to see. The well timed tackles and distribution neutralised any Driffield attack, with Em behind them in goal.

Sadly, against the run of play, Driffield broke with a 2 on 1 and were able to slot it across the goal into the bottom corner, tricky for any keeper. 2-1 Driffield.

The girls never stopped working hard for each other and kept challenging Driffield's goalkeeper, with around 8 short corners and 20 shots on goal. One short corner in particular saw a straight strike from Amelia part saved and picked up by Mollie, who was brought down by the keeper, but no flick was given. Today just didn't go our way and the game finished 2-1 to Driffield.

So proud of the girls and how they handled themselves today, on the pitch and through some tough decisions and a vocal home crowd.

Players' player: Tilda

Goals: Ruth 1

Thank you to all the parents for making the long journey to Driffield, and we're sure you'd agree the score didn't reflect the game and the girls were superb today! Thank you also to the coaches for leading the team.

Tournament Match Report

Our U10 boys were at Wakefield for a Division 2 tournament against Ben Rhydding, Doncaster, Barnsley and Driffield, and came away unbeaten, with two wins, two draws and no goals conceded all day. We only had six players, so the other teams kindly lent us a spare to play on the right wing.

Slazenger (0) vs. (0) Ben Rhydding 1
Ben Rhydding have come down from Division 1 and have a very good, tricky playmaker, so keeping him quiet was a win in itself and the 0-0 was a really good result. James made an excellent save to stop him, and Bryce and George were strong in defence. Theo passed the ball nicely, Dylan ran well up the wing and Alfie was calm on the ball and crossed well into the D. Our helper on the right put in a really good effort too.

Slazenger (3) vs. (0) Doncaster 1
Alfie moved up front with Dylan in the centre, and we put Doncaster under pressure early. Alfie intercepted well and opened the scoring when he passed to Dylan, got it back and hit a big slap into the goal. Dylan held the ball up and released Alfie for another strong slap to make it 2-0, and Alfie completed his hat-trick with a reverse sweep. Bryce made an important interception, played a great long corner in to Alfie and held the ball up well for George to get a shot away, and George tackled well. Theo made some good runs and beat a player to get a shot off, Dylan dribbled well, and one move went round the whole team and ended with a reverse stick shot just wide. There was great hunger from all of them.

Slazenger (0) vs. (0) Barnsley 1
A tight game, and we put Barnsley under plenty of pressure. Alfie ran well up the left and linked with Dylan, and both had shots, Alfie's well saved and Dylan's just wide. George made a great run up the right and put a cross in. Bryce made some great last-ditch stops and ran back really well, with James making a save behind him.

Slazenger (1) vs. (0) Driffield 1
Alfie and Dylan worked well together to bring the ball forward, and Dylan went close early with a reverse shot from Alfie's reverse cross, then dribbled into the D to score the only goal. George was clever at keeping the ball moving wide, and Bryce defended well again. James made three vital saves, one with his stick, and Dylan made a last-ditch save to see out the 1-0.

Alfie was named player of the tournament, but as the coach said, it could have gone to many of them, with Dylan's running, Bryce's great defensive tackles and James's saves. Theo was tenacious all day, and George played with real passion and wasn't happy with anything less than a win.

It was a really good day for the team, and one to build on for the rest of the season. Thank you to the coaches for leading the team, to the other teams for lending us a player, and to everyone who came to support.

Tournament Match Report

Our U10 girls had a chilly, breezy home tournament today against Sheffield 1s, Sheffield 2s and Wakefield, playing each of them twice. The weather didn't dampen anyone's spirits, and the girls arrived full of smiles and ready to get stuck in. We're still a young team with new faces joining, and Bea played her first game for the U10 girls today. Evelyn, Penelope and Bea are only seven, and it's lovely to see the older girls encouraging and looking after the younger ones. Congratulations to Emily, who was named player of the tournament.

Game 1: Sheffield 1s, lost 0-2
Game 2: Sheffield 2s, lost 0-2
Game 3: Wakefield, drew 1-1
Game 4: Sheffield 1s, won 1-0
Game 5: Sheffield 2s, drew 1-1
Game 6: Wakefield, lost 0-1

That's one win, two draws and three defeats against some strong opposition, and the girls worked hard in every game, battled for every ball and never stopped trying.

Emily was cool and calm all day, taking the ball quickly, using self-passes to move into space and organising the team from the back. Charlotte charged up and down the pitch all day and scored a great goal, and all the girls ran over to celebrate with her. Hattie was solid again, with strong stick work and dribbling that keeps getting better, and Clara tackled really well and worked hard to win the ball back. Evelyn worked hard all day, tackling well with a flat stick and looking to take her free hits quickly, and Penelope positioned herself well, getting between her player and the goal and defending with real determination.

Ivy covered plenty of ground and made some strong passes, Eliza was confident on the ball, passing well and driving forward, and Lilly put in a big shift up and down the pitch, making good calls and finding space for her teammates. Bea cheered her teammates on all the way through her first game and got stuck in too, working hard for the ball, running with it, making tackles and taking a free hit with real confidence.

The girls are still getting to know each other's strengths, and the way they're growing together as a team gives them a lot to look forward to. A big thank you to Matthew, who helped out as assistant coach, getting the girls into position, leading the warm-up and encouraging them all the way through. Thank you to the coaches for leading the team, and to everyone who came to support.