Slazenger Hockey Club

Harrogate

Report: 01-02-2014 – Mens 1st’s (2) vs. (3) Harrogate 2nd’s

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This was an important clash with both teams keen to get enough points to clear the relegation points fight near the end of the season. Harrogate were a well drilled young side and looked to start on top.  Slaz soon got their footing and created as much pressure on their defence too.

The pace was quick and looked good on both sides but Harrogate took the lead with a lovely deflection into the corner of the goal.  Another followed in the same half.  Slaz came back and faught for every ball and were able to pull another 2 back from Richard Tuddenham but Harrogate had already secured another goal. 

Slaz kept the pressure on and Harrogate managed to keep the ball out to secure the 3 points.Dan Perry had a great game up front, James Cowden had a good game in net keeping slaz in the game, but man of match went to Isaac Fisher who commanded his inside left spot denying passage to all.

Final score: Slaz 2 Harrogate 3

Report: 12-01-2014 – Boys U16’s Tournament

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Slazenger U16 Boys made a great start to 2014 by returning to the top of the YYHL Division 1 following an unbeaten outing to Harrogate on Sunday.
Fresh from the holiday festivities, the team faced main rivals City of York as well as teams from Ben Rhydding and Harrogate.

Slazenger 1 – 1 City of York
Both teams started brightly, moving the ball confidently and creating chances at both ends. It was York who found a breakthrough with just under 10 minutes played, when an attack down the centre of the field produced a probing ball into the ‘D’ to find a striker who had lost his marker giving him time to tip the ball into the top left corner.

The Slazenger boys responded brilliantly to the early setback and within 2 minutes were rewarded with an equalising goal scored by Matthew Stacey, tipping the ball inside the right post of the York goal.

The remainder of the game continued very evenly with neither team managing to create any clear goal scoring opportunities.

Slazenger 2 – 0 Harrogate
The Slazenger team dominated the game from the start so it was no surprise when the opening goal came after 10 minutes when Aidan Hopkinson pounced on a rebound from a Luke Gueli short corner drag flick to fire the ball into the Harrogate goal.

Two minutes later, Slazenger extended their lead when Robert Cann finished off a flowing move involving Will Copley and Isaac Fisher. Despite concerted attacks the team were unable to find the net again. However, Isaac Fisher came very close when his reverse shot from the top of the ‘D’ glanced off the cross bar.

Slazenger 3 – 0 Ben Rhydding
With the Slazenger team now playing confident, flowing hockey, passing the ball quickly and working together, it was only a matter of time before they were rewarded with an opening goal inside 8 minutes. Will Copley finished another passing move with a reverse shot.

Matthew Stacey then scored 2 goals in under 5 minutes. The first picking up a rebounded shot and the second meeting a pass from Will Copley.

In other games, York beat Harrogate 3 – 0 and Ben Rhydding 1 – 0 meaning that Slazenger finished top on goal difference. The game between Ben Rhydding and Harrogate was won 3 – 2 by Ben Rhydding.

Report: 26-10-2013 – Mens 4th’s (3) vs. (0) Harrogate 5th’s

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Slazenger mens 4th’s travelled to away Harrogate for their most recent game. A strong team performance saw them run out 3-0 victors.

Some solid team play gave Slaz the upper hand, and it was only a matter of time before the goals were scored. Some strong midfield work, set up the “Peanut Brothers” to net 3; Daz Buttery getting a brace and Steve Johnson netting the third.

Tom Pitchforth got the mom award.

Next week, Slaz 4’s travel away City of York on the 9th, enjoying a well deserved break this week.

Report: 26-10-2013 – Mens 1st’s (1) vs. (6) Harrogate 2nd’s

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The game was quick passed and both sides created early chances, but within 15 minutes Harrogate took the lead. Before half time they got a deflection off a short corner and another one straight after leaving Slaz wondering what had happened in the first half with most of the possession and twice as many chances as Harrogate on target.

Slaz pushed on in the second half but were tiring faster than Harrogate and were caught on the break twice to leave Slaz looking at a 5 goal deficit. Harrogate got another back with 10 minutes left, Slaz continued to create chances time after time but couldn’t score until 5 minutes from the end, Slaz still then fired an open goal opportunity wide before the final whistle went.

Report: 28-09-2013 – Mens 5th’s (3) vs. (6) Harrogate 6th’s

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Dan Does the Double

On another bright sunny September Saturday Slazenger’s development team travelled to Harrogate, with a warning that the week pervious the same team had destroyed Airedale 13 – 0.

With young Harry Buttery back in net, his back four lined up with Matthew and Paul Chilton, Nick Calderly and Mayank Gupta. Harrogate gave an early warning putting together six passes and scoring within the first minute of the game. Slazengers hardly had time to reset their positions when Harrogate were at them again, the midfield pair of Geoff Birkett and Harry Gunning were under the cosh again and pegged back to the sixteen yard line. Ben Stevenson and Peter Gunning on the wings just couldn’t see a way to get the ball through to Dan Atkinson and Alex King.

Matthew and Nick were composed on the ball but Slazenger’s hit outs were weak affairs and Harrogate found their short range and quickly pounced on balls in quick succession and drove their advantage home scoring two more in quick succession.

Alex and Dan made some inroads into the Harrogate half although their attacks and runs were counteracted by a solid back three from Harrogate. After a ten minute frenetic period which exhausted many Slaz players and saw the midfield defend so deep that invited another goal from Harrogate Slazenger’s position looked precarious at best. A small chink of light appeared as Harry Gunning burst forward and rolled to the left post with two oncoming defenders the small midfielder swung a precise tomahawk shot that hit the top right of the goal against the run of play, but giving a tired team some hope.

The second half started with the captain’s word stinging the player’s ears. The press and hassling of players was to be a top priority for the second half and the team came out fighting. Harrogate were pressed back from the off and the pressure told with the play being in the top half of the field and counter attacks were confidently dealt with by Nick, Paul and Matthew.

A few heart stopping moments from two short corners were confidently dealt with by Matthew Smith and as Slaz managed to counter Dan Atkinson got on the end of a long ball from Geoff and passed to Peter who did a swift one two and Dan scored a second goal for Slaz. The ball travelled to both end of the pitch but Slaz were defiantly up for the game now and after a response and goal from Harrogate Slaz returned the favour with another route one ball to Dan Atkinson who rounded the keeper and battled a defender to gain another goal for his double.

Final score 5-3