Ladies 4th XI

Match Report

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.

Match Report

Ladies 4s had another tough fixture this week, this time facing Selby 2s, who were recently relegated.

The standout performances came in midfield, with May, Phoebe and Justine battling hard throughout the game. Beth also put in an unbelievable shift, working tirelessly, linking up brilliantly with the team and creating several chances. Her efforts earned her a well-deserved Player of the Match award.

It was an end-to-end game, with both teams creating opportunities. Unfortunately, Selby were the only side able to convert their chances, eventually walking away with a 4–0 victory.

A huge well done and thank you to Sarah Paveley for stepping up and taking one for the team by going in goal!

Match Report

12 Slazenger players arrived to what felt like an army of oranges, who had clearly taken full advantage of a 16-player squad.

Strangely, despite being outnumbered on the bench, Slazenger got off to a strong start, dominating possession and driving forwards. The low sunset wasn’t exactly helping visibility, but Slaz kept pushing.

With nine minutes on the clock, Julie Bailey got her first — hopefully of many — goal of the season. Pouncing on a short-corner rebound, Julie calmly found the back of the net to give Slazenger an early lead.

With newfound confidence, Slaz began forcing Adel into errors, picking up loose balls and creating chances of their own. Unfortunately, the finishing touch proved elusive. May Bailey put in a huge shift in midfield, driving the ball up the pitch and doing an excellent job of cutting off Adel’s breaks.

Slazenger went into half-time with a well-earned 1–0 lead.

Once the umpire eventually managed to locate his whistle, the second half got underway. It wasn’t long before a little bit of deceit from the sweeper resulted in a green card. Those two minutes somehow felt like an entire half, but the tiring Slazenger side dug deep to withstand the constant Adel pressure.

And what a performance in goal from Gemma Wilson, who put on an absolute masterclass. Poppy Thackrah and Lorna Godson also threw everything they had into blocking the relentless Adel attacks, with the whole team working tirelessly to protect their lead.

It was touch and go right until the final whistle, but Slazenger held firm to secure their first win of the season, keeping a clean sheet and coming away with a hard-fought 1–0 victory.

A brilliant team effort, a first goal of the season for Julie, and three points in the bag.