YNE Yorkshire Open - Men's Division 1 (2026)
Match Report
To say the Men's 1st team who assembled on Saturday was a bit rag tag, is an understatement. However, a bare 11 players assembled on the pitch, ready to go.
It was a steady start for the home side, with Chapeltown looking aggressive on the break. However some solid work from the back line, including an impressive Harry Firth, and returning from injury captain Ben Stevenson ably mopped up, and kept the game evenly balanced goalless. Slazenger sat deeper to absorb the pressure, and hit Chapeltown on the break. Robin Brearton and Man of the Match, Jordan Ingham was effective at finding gaps in the Chapeltown defence and winning penalty corners. Slaz converted two of these opportunities through Asad Baig's trademark penalty corner strikes.
Chapeltown were not going to go down without a fight, striking back with two of their own goals to keep the game deadlocked.
The second half was similarly closely matched. The makeshift midfield worked effectively, with Adam Fall, Dan Perry and Amir Khalil creating possession and attacking chances. Chapeltown continued to threaten and scored a third, as Slaz looked to be tiring. However, the game wasn't done yet. A well worked attacking move allows Ian Hedges to setup Adam Fall at the back post to equalise. Jordan Ingham continued to cause trouble, drawing fouls from Chapeltown, finally resulting in a Chapeltown yellow card. With a man advantage, Slaz continued to press and Danny Perry was able to score the winner.
The final minutes were a tense affair, with a flagging home side mounting a rear-guard action to keep out Chapeltown and secure the win. A well earned 3 points to kick off the season.
Squad
Match Report
Slaz men's 1s travelled to Driffield for their first away game for the season with a depleted side but hopes of keeping their perfect start to the new campaign in tact.
Despite going 1-0 down earlier, Slaz rallied well and stuck to their counter-attacking plan well throughout the first-half, with Jordan Ingham battling well to win a penalty corner that was calmly scored by Asad Baig. Slaz went into the break deservedly level.
And many of the same patterns of play were evident throughout the second half, where Slaz once again defended staunchly and tried to make the most of opportunities on the counter. Unfortunately, it would not prove to be their day, as Driffield converted a short corner opportunity and Slaz spurned a number of good chances.
The final result was 2-1 to Driffield, but there were positive signs that Slaz were so competitive despite so many players missing.
Match Report
Slaz mens ones hosted Boston Spa in their second home game of the season, once again missing a number of players but hoping to bounce back from a poor result in their last fixture.
And Slaz got off to a good start, holding possession well and building a solid foundation, despite being unable to take any chances in the early offings. Despite a setback to go 1-0 down, Ben Jackson won a handy short corner that was coolly taken by Keith Leonard to tie the game up leading into the half time interval.
Slaz then remained solid throughout the second half, providing consistent pressure but without creating too many options, until Ben Jackson cracked a sumptuous ball across the D that Isaac Fisher got on the end of. Unfortunately for Slaz, the game zig-zagged from there, with Boston Spa pulling a goal back shortly eafter, only for Slaz to retake the lead through Isaac Fisher close to the end.
Slaz once again couldn't hold on to this lead however, and Boston Spa scored again for the game to finish a deserved 3-3.
Squad
Match Report
Slaz mens ones embarked on what is typically a difficult fixture for them, away at Halifax.
Sporting a new formation, Slaz started strong, defending narrow and attacking wide. They built a number of good attacks through Ben Jackson, Jordan Ingham and Amir Khalil. However, despite winning a number of short corners Slaz struggled to profit.
Then, Slaz's pressure finally paid off as Amir Khalil waltzed through the opposition defence and played a pass to Isaac Fisher that he couldn't miss.
After taking the lead in the first half, Halifax built sustained pressure and created a number of half-chances. However keeper Andy Loftus, with the helping hand of a goal-line clearance from Isaac Fisher, was resolute in keeping his first clean sheet of the season.
The game finished 1-0 to Slaz, who will hope to take lots of positives from the game into the rest of the season.
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.
Squad
Match Report
Slaz Mens 1s took the long trip to Ilkley to play Ben Rhydding with hopes that they could climb the table into the top 2. And Slaz got off to a rough start when a number of players failed to reach the pushback in team, leading them to start the game with a put-together starting formation.
Nevertheless, Slaz remained tight at the back and looked for opportunities on the counter, but going into the interval, neither team managed to break the deadlock despite good chances for Ollie Leonard and Mark Swinden.
The second half started much the same way, with Slaz defending deep and looking for chances on the counter. Unfortunately, a number of cheap green cards meant that Slaz found themselves a man down at crucial times in the game and their resistance was eventually broken. After conceding from a penalty corner and then again from a breakaway, Slaz looked likely to lose 2-0.
A late rally found a flurry of Slaz chances, with Asad Baig converting from a short corner, but a second goal went begging. It was a tough game for Slaz but there were also plenty of positives to take into the second quarter of the season after next week's slip week.
Man of the match once again went to Harry Firth, who looks every bit a first team player and growing in confidence week on week.
Squad
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...
