Slazenger Hockey Club

Mens 5th XI

Report: 05-12-2015 – Mens 5th’s (0) vs. (3) Bradford 5th’s

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After going down 2-0 by half time with another new and young team, Slazengers fought back courageously to nearly get a goal or two back in the second half against a very skillful Bradford team.

Great work by the team with Jack Lee and Will Feally working hard and running hard to create chances and close the opposition down. Man of the Match Dan Cass was making his presence felt and Harry Buttery in goal pulled off a great performance.

However Bradford scored again the second half to make the final score 3-0.

Report: 07-03-2015 – Mens 5th’s (2) vs. (0) Sheffield Hallam 9th’s

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Another fantastic team performance by Slazengers Mens Development team as they travelled to Sheffield Hallam who were second in the league.

Despite playing some skillful opposition, Slazengers intensity, work rate and team work saw a well deserved 2-0 victory.

Great midfield effort, good defensive work and well taken goals by Dan Cass and Josh Swallow were enough to shock the opposition.

Report: 14-09-2013 – Mens 5th’s (2) vs. (4) City of York 10th’s

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Some great debutante performances but the Gunning brothers nab a goal each in a well matched contest.

On a bright sunny September Saturday Slazenger’s development team travelled to Huntingdon School to play York. The team was a scratch team with Joshua Swallow and Nick Caldersley making their debut to senior hockey.

Looking at the York team there would be a hill to climb as they had boys aged 15 -16 in their junior part of the team. Undeterred Harry Buttery in goal and a back three consisting of Paul Chilton, Harry Gunning and Dave Gascoigne deflected and kept the oncoming attacks away whilst at the other end of the pitch the front two of Darren Buttery and Peter Gunning had their attacks snuffed out by a particularly good sweeper.

After fifteen minutes the deadlock was broken by a goal with some neat triangular passing from the front three from York. However Slazengers responded with a quick goal themselves, a trio of passes from Harry Gunning, Darren Buttery and Peter Gunning saw the first goal for Slaz with the elder Gunning brother claiming his first for the season.

A tight remaining 10 minutes in the first half let Andy Fisher command the midfield with Nick Claderley showing his ball holding skills on the wing. Unfortunately any attacks from a young Josh Swallow were snuffed out as he was heavily marked, but he showed no fear in his performance. Harry Gunning, who was wanted more of the ball, pulled out of defence chasing the game made a gap for York to capitalise on.

Even the running from Dave Gascoigne couldn’t slow the York attack and they claimed another goal before half time. The second half began with a flurry of activity on the wings, with Chris Gascoigne and Matthew Chilton taking most of the play. Nick Calderly, who had swapped to the centre, was more combative of the three.

Peter Gunning showed some good skill beating the York winger and passed to Harry, his brother. The younger Gunning rounded a defender and passed to Darren Buttery who played a neat one two allowing Harry space to do a neat flick past the keeper making the score 2-2. This would have been a fair result but York drove onto Slazengers, who were tiring now and as they had no substitutes could do little to stem the flow of forward movement with tired legs.

A well placed goal beat Young Harry Buttery in net and as the game was closing a tired defender’s foot stopped the ball on the line inadvertently; a penalty flick against Slazengers saw the game finish with York leading home 4-2. The final scores doesn’t show the good work and team play that was evident through the match though and the team have started the season with many positives.

Report: 05-01-2013 – Mens 5th’s (3) vs. (2) Doncaster 7th’s

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A slow after Christmas start for the Slazenger’s fifth team saw a dismal first half with a competent Doncaster team who ran rings around both young and old players.

Within 5 minutes Doncaster had scored with some fine wing movement and neat triangular passes. Slaz with possibly too much Xmas pudding still in them looked lacklustre and seemed unable to track or mark any of the Doncaster players. Slaz spent another 15 frustrating minutes unable to clear their own half and get the ball to the forward line.

Doncaster capitalised on this and scored another fine goal beating Harry Buttery in the Slazenger goal.

After a stirring team talk and a frank discussion of strengths and weaknesses from Captain Geoff Birkett, Slaz returned to the field looking a different team indeed. Within a minute a smart move down the wing from George Fealy passing it to midfield player Harry Gunning who’s loose shot hit the post but the subsequent rebound hit the back of the keeper’s foot to cross the line. An own goal but a deserved lift for the team.

From that point Slaz quickly found their feet, Tom Pitchforth put in a superb shift all over the field tracking and moving the ball around comfortably and more good work from Geoff Birkett and Harry Gunning in midfield saw George Fealy released onto the wing to make space to bring the ball to striker Peter Gunning to put away Slazenger’s first proper goal. An almost identical goal and Peter Gunning’s sixteenth of the season, brought the complete turnaround of a game that was thought dead and buried at half time. Dogged defensive work from Dave Smyth, Danny Croxall, Alex Calderley and Steve Wood kept the last hurrah of Doncaster at bay as they tried desperately to gain a last goal but it all ended Slaz 3 Doncaster 2.

Report: 17-11-2012 – Mens 5th’s (2) vs. (2) Doncaster 7th’s

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An early evening match for the Slazenger 5ths saw the floodlights light up the Horbury sky as they battled against Doncaster. The back four of Dave Smith, Danny Croxall, Matthew Chilton and Adam Drake held the line well protecting Harry Buttery in goal. They were tested throughout the first half with penetrating runs from the wings and through the centre, however Danny Croxall was tenacious and recovered the ball several times when the Slaz team were dispossessed.

Geoff Birkett and Harry Gunning held the centre of the park with George Fealy and Elliot Golding using the wings and making some telling runs. Disaster struck early as Slaz weren’t up to combating a swift counter attack from Donnie. Matthew Chilton and Owen Bland both played well for such young debutants but the agility and dribbling skill of their centre caught Slaz on the hop and they were soon ruing a one goal deficit.

Spurred on by Geoff the team regained their composure and pressed home 2 to 3 good attacks. The final move of another George Fealy foray up front saw a ball desperately scrambled in front of goal but it landed in front of the team’s talisman scorer Peter Gunning who swept in his sixth goal of the season past a decent Donnie keeper. Slaz had to absorb sustained pressure for the last 5 minutes but held out to regroup at the half time interval.

An even start for both teams in the second half saw an almost tennis match type of game with the hockey moving from attack to counter attack but finally saw the young mercurial red headed Donnie player slot home another telling goal.

A sustained period of attack from Slaz saw Ben and Adam push forward and wave after wave of attacks bore fruit as Peter Gunning telegraphed a goal home from a telling pass off Adam Drake and through his brother Harry to make honours even.

Slaz weren’t finished there though an intense barrage of shots from both Gunnings, Fealy and Golding were fruitless but showed the tenacity and spirit of the team.

A well deserved draw against a Doncaster side who beat Slaz in their last meeting showed what this team can do.