Report: Boys U10's at Pocklington


Published: Sunday, 6 December 2009

Posted by Slazenger Admin  at  10:55 [0 comments]


The Team: Emillie Ritchey (GK); Katie Minchella; Harry Buttery; Nick Calderley; Sebastian Lister; Ryan Denton.

Slaz 2 v Airedale B 2
We got off to a shakey start when we conceded 2 goals quickly in the first half despite 2 good chances by Ryan and Nick.  The defence just couldn't make it back and Emillie was left to defend 2 attackers.  However the guys settled into their positions in the second half and seemed to stay more in position and use the space well.  A long corner from Nick in towards the D was collected and converted by Harry with a super slapshot. There were a couple of scarey 16s where the attack managed to intercept and get into our D but Ryan, Nick and Sebastian made some great tackles, Emillie made a some lovely saves and the ball was played back up towards Airedale's D.  The width of the pitch was utilised very well by Katie, Sebastian and Nick and another good pass to Harry on the edge of the D beat Airedale's keeper.

Chapeltown A 0 v Slaz 3
The team kept their form in the second game and again used the space well.  The guys played more self passes in this game as their confidence built up. After a bit of a mess in Chapeltown's D we were awarded our first short.  Pushed in by Harry to Nick the defence were on it and the ball left the area.  However Ryan picked it up in midfield and got it back towards the D to Sebastian.  Some great teamwork between Katie and Seb scored us our first.  Everyone worked really hard in midfield to keep the ball in Chapeltown's half.  The ball was played through on one occasion to an attacker and Emillie made a great one on one save sending the ball back towards midfield.  Sebastian took the ball to the edge of the D and showed great awareness in his pass to Harry who was waiting to slap in another past the keeper.  Harry definately knew where his position was by this time and picked up another lovely pass from Nick to score the third.

Slazenger 2 v York B 3
We knew this game would be tough as York had won their previous games 3-0 and 6-0.  In the first half we seemed to lose the structure a little bit with the defence and midfield chasing the ball again.  York played with at least one attacker up front all of the time and he was free to score 2 past Emillie despite her efforts.  Again great work in midfield passing the ball out wide to Katie and Nick and then in to the D again to Harry who powered in the first. The second half was better and Ryan stuck to that attacker like glue so as not to give him another clear shot at goal.  York had to work hard against us for their 3rd goal and Ryan, Seb, Nick and Emillie all battled hard in our D but eventually York's 3rd crossed the line.  From the restart Nick took the ball towards the D there were some great passes out wide again to Katie and strong tackles by all of the team on the way up and eventually the ball found its way to Harry in the D who took the shot. It was saved by the keeper but he followed up the rebound and beat the keeper.  Great defending by Ryan, Nick and Seb and another great save by Emillie torwards full time kept the score 3-2 to York.

Overall a great day all round.  Can I just say how impressed I was with the team today.  It seems like such a long time ago since we played our first tournament at Halifax in October where we lost every game and only scored one goal.  The kids seem to have improved so much since then and their confidence is coming thick and fast.  Considering they haven't all played together since October they got along really well and played brilliantly together.  Ryan who has only been playing at Slaz for a month or so settled in great, it was like he'd been playing with them for ever.  It was such a joy to be with them and watch them today.

Special thanks to Dean Michella and Mark Calderley today for helping me out.

from Sarah-Jane Ritchey

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Report: Boys u10's


Published: Monday, 23 October 2006

Posted by Slazenger Admin  at  01:31 [0 comments]


Slazenger U10 Boys A The team came away undefeated from the second Yorkshire Youth Hockey tournament of the season, held at Outwood Grange School on Sunday 22nd October. Sam Dransfield was dominant in his central Midfield role for all five of our games. He made good use of both Harry Lumb and Jordan Pickles who were playing wide off him, whilst Sam's brother Ben gave a good contribution in an attacking role. However it was Isaac Fisher the team had to thank for finding the back of our opponents nets on six occasions, the only other Slazenger goal of the day came off the stick of Harry Lumb. Full back Ralph Toon thwarted attempts on our goal in all but one of Slazenger's games, this being the "derby" match against our local rivals Wakefield. In this game Slaz found themselves 2-0 down within the first few minutes but battled back determinedly to force a 2-2 draw. Results for all games: Doncaster 0-0 draw, Bradford B 2-0 win, Slazenger B 0-0 draw, Wakefield 2-2 draw, Chapeltown B 3-0 win. 



Most of the Slazenger U10 Boys B team only started playing hockey within the last six weeks and can therefore be proud of the very respectable account they gave. Both Tim Wrigglesworth and Joe Shaw's confidence whilst on the ball visibly improved during the tournament. Scott Liversedge playing on the left side of midfield found space well, whilst Connor Woodard was solid at the back. Aiden Hopkinson showed what a little experience will do for the other boys games with some very skilful touches as well as lots of energetic runs from midfield. The team started the day strong holding Wakefield to a 0 draw, then did better still in their second game by beating Doncaster 1-0 with a goal from Tim Wrigglesworth. They defended very well in the game against the more experienced Slazenger A team to achieve a 0-0 draw. Bradford B played the game against our B team with of a couple of their strongest A team players in the mix, this advantage showed in the amount of possession they had. Although the defeat may have been inevitable, the score line of 4-1 was a tribute to Slazenger's new boys, the consolation goal being Tim Wrigglesworth's second of the day. Slaz can count themselves unlucky to lose the last game of the day to Chapeltown's B team after a single solo breakaway goal against the flow of play.

Report by Alan Perry

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Report: Slazenger Boys u10


Published: Monday, 25 September 2006

Posted by Slazenger Admin  at  01:28 [0 comments]


Tournament played at Outwood Grange School, Sunday 24th September. Slazenger’s U10 Boys A team had a storming start in the first of six Yorkshire Youth hockey league tournaments to be played during the 2006/7 season by winning our first game against Rotherham 3-1. Issac Fisher tapping the ball home for the first after a blistering run by Sam Dransfield from well inside his own half. Minutes later Sam’s brother Ben Dransfield made it 2 when he found space in Rotherham’s D and drove an attempted clearance in to the back of their net. Sam netted the last of our three before Rotherham secured a consolation goal close to the final whistle.


As far as scores are concerned this is where the good news ends. An obviously well experienced team from Bradford HC really turned on the style with a well drilled demonstration of hockey, plus some outstanding individual performances to beat Slaz 4-0. The score line would have been substantially worst without some strong defensive play by Ralph Toon and Jordan Pickles. Due to shortage of numbers in the Kirklees and Doncaster squads the same Bradford players again put in excellent individual performances against us after being “borrowed” by those two sides. Slazengers loosing both games 3-0 and 2-0 respectively. An absolute new comer to Hockey, Connor Thwaite, came close to creating a goal for Slazengers in the game against Doncaster with a long distance strike towards goal which Issac Fisher couldn't quite catch to give it the necessary touch before it crossed the goal line. Slazengers played the final game of the day against Sheffield without one of our stronger players, Sam Dransfield, due to injury. Although not reflected in the score line it was a more closely fought affair. Harry Lumb battled extremely hard in an attempt to break through the Sheffield midfield and take the game into their half with success on a number of occasions, unfortunately none of these resulted in goals for Slaz. The three goals Sheffield managed to put away came after persistent pressure on our defence resulted in free hits and long corners, set pieces which Sheffield converted in to goals.



Slazengers have also entered a B team in the league this season. Last season we started without sufficient players to run two teams but by mid-season we had. Therefore, for this outing, we fielded a team of 5 girls and two boys some of which were playing in their debut tournament. All team members enjoyed the run out and managed to win one out of the four matches they played, this being a 2-0 victory against Chapletown’s B side. Goals scored by Rebecca Jessop and the second from Ellie Spruce or Holly Joyce who stuck the ball together, neither of the Girls sure who stick the ball came off.



Results for the other games were a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Chapletown’s A side, Holly Joyce netting after a fine pass from Ellie Spruce, a 0-3 loss against Halifax, and the last game of the day against Bradford’s B side this was close game that ended 1-2 to our opponents, Rebecca scoring her second goal of the day for Slaz. Despite the results for both A & B teams Slazengers young squad, many of which are new to the sport, can be proud of the performance they produced and look forward to better results as many of them gain experience throughout the season.

Report by Alan Perry

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Report : Boys U10


Published: Sunday, 26 September 2004

Posted by Slazenger Admin  at  20:58 [0 comments]


Competing in the Yorkshire Youth Hockey League; Held at Huntington School, York. Sunday 26th September 2004.

The start of the first of five tournaments planned for the 2004-2005 season was delayed due to the late arrival of the facilities key holder.

Slazenger’s start this season playing in the lower of three leagues, our team of three Boys and two Girls (we are desperate to recruit more Boys to the side) been made up to the necessary six with the help of players gratefully borrowed from Chapeltown or Wakefield. Our opponents on the day were reduced to four teams with the absence of Thirsk.

The first game was against Harrogate who were a strong team that our inexperienced players, suffering from the lack of the strong defensive strength of the absent Ailish Hendry, found it very difficult to defend against. The result being a resounding 5-0 defeat.

In our second game, against Ben Rhydding B, although the team began to come together and find more shape, even putting together a chance or two on goal. Again our competition proved too strong scoring four goals, the first of which came from a shot from outside the D, rebounding off of our post into the path of their attacker (but they all count). Final score 4-0 to Ben Rhydding B.

Slazenger’s started our third game against Chapeltown in a much more positive manner, putting our opponents under pressure from early in the game. This pressure bringing a goal in the first few minutes scored by Daniel Perry after all our attacking players had seen a touch of the ball inside the Chapeltown D. They were quick to come back at us, until an attack on our goal was thwarted by the umpires whistle when Slazenger’s Issac Fisher was struck in the chest by a ball unintentionally flicked up off a Chapletown stick. We were soon back on the attack ourselves though, Daniel again managing to force a goal after another goal mouth scramble. Chapeltown popped in a consolation goal near the end of the eight-minute game with some neat “brake-away” play involving Joshua, a playing we had “borrowed” earlier in the tournament. Final score 2-1 to Slazengers.

In our final game against York B a third girl, Sophie from Chapletown made up the numbers off our team. We began in the same attacking style and again found ourselves one nil up early in the game. With players committing to attack we were vulnerable to any York break, but half way through the game Issac turned one of this breaks into a goal for Slazengers by driving the length of the pitch, a terrific effort from the six year old. After a final successful tackle on the edge of York’s D Daniel was on hand to pick up the loose ball and force through from the right wing, along the goal line and finish the move with a reverse stick push into the net. The final score of 2-0 could have been 3 when Heather Bates was ideally positioned in front of goal at the end of a pass when the full time whistle blow.       
Slazenger’s result of two wins and two defeats will depend on other teams results but will probably see us remain in the third division for the next tournament on the 31st October.

Slazenger Junior Hockey are keen to recruit new members. Training is held on Sunday 10am till 12 noon at Slazenger sports and social club in Horbury (Address on Main Web Page).

Team on photo attached to e-mail; Front row left to right Chloe Bates, Issac Fisher, Heather Bates. Back row left to right Daniel Perry, Jake Barras.

October, we are not charging new prospective members for coaching, and are running our annual “Bring a Buddy Month

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