Stockton take advantage of wasteful Leeds in North Div 1
Leeds 1s came into this mid table clash on the back of a two match losing streak hoping to get back into winning ways against a team who they lost to away earlier in the season amid some highly contentious umpiring.
The game did not start well for Leeds who, despite early pressure and chances, conceded within 4 minutes after a reverse stick shot from a tight angle was deflected in. Leeds rallied and began to dominate the match with Adam Foster, Dean Edwards and Pete Hall all going close before Dean Edwards scored at the end of a training ground move after good work down the right hand side channel by Hylton Armstrong and Danny Lynham meant Hylton was able to cross from the right hand side of the circle for Deano to deflect past the GK.
Stockton were far from out of the match and should have done better after some very cheap turnover from Leeds. Their pressure paid when from a very tight angle, the Stockton forward was able to squeeze a well hit reverse stick shot past "Chemical Ali" in goal for Leeds.
2-1 down at half time and after a lot of broken play, Stockton scored a slightly fortunate goal after a mistrapped aerial from Leeds allowed the Stockton forward into the circle and he topped his shot, looping the ball over the onrushing Al Marshall.
Leeds pushed hard and created a number of opportunities that whistled past the post before Dean Edwards deflected again from a penalty corner move. With 4 minutes remaining and pushing for a goal, Leeds substituted their GK for another outfield player and this cost Leeds dearly when a turnover in midfield allowed a quick aerial over the top of the Leeds defence for an easy finish for Stockton.
However, Leeds would not lie down and the numerical advantage earned them a goal for Chris Miller shortly before the end of the match.
Coach Lewis Butcher said, "I am desperately disappointed to have lost again today. The system we are playing is creating us a lot of chances but our lack of core skill ability and decision making let us down badly today and if you continue to give the opposition the ball and waste your chances in front of goal, then you don't deserve to win hockey matches. We will bounce back by putting things right in training and working very hard as a group!"
-------------------------------------------------------
In the Men’s Yorkshire League, Leeds 2s battled against their own ill discipline and a York Uni side who are top of Div 1. With 4 yellow cards and Leeds down to 9 men at one point, a one nil loss was a decent result against the promotion favourites. For all the details on this encounter, read the full report by Philip Stubley
-------------------------------------------------------
With the 3s and 4s games cancelled, Leeds 5s produced a season’s best performance, ending league leaders York Uni's eleven game winning streak in Div 7. Here is the full 868 word match report from John Forecast...
Leeds 5ths 2–1 York Uni 2nds
Canning (50)
R. Taylor (55)
Line Up:
GK: Carlisle
Defence: Diggins, Utley, Pearson, Chambers, Harvey
Midfield: D. Taylor, Goulsbra, Forecast, Moriarty, Brown, Robertson
Forward: Greenwood, R. Taylor, Canning
Attendance: 12’343 Leeds 5ths inflicted league-leaders York University’s 2nd defeat of the season and first in 11 matches with a glorious, hard-earned victory at Weetwood. In recent weeks there has been criticism over the lack of detail in these match reports, and efforts have been made this week to include as many highlights as can be remembered! In fact this match report amounts to more words than certain dissertation projects which were meant to have been drafted up for last week.
After a lengthy match preparation the game started with a quick tempo, and straight away it was clear York’s quick, precise short passing game was going to cause problems. But the work rate from Leeds was in abundance as they pressured York, and good work from Diggins and Goulsbra on the right wing led to several half chances for Leeds.
York looked dangerous on the break and were making inroads with clever off the ball movement and good vision with their passes, but Leeds’ defence stood strong, and the only real chance for York came as a result of confusion at the back between defenders and keeper, Leeds eventually scrambling the ball away for a harmless sideline.
Leeds switched the ball well between the wings through out the match, particularly across the defence were Harvey, Chambers, Utley and Diggins continuously held possession and helped Leeds out of their half. York seemed unaccustomed to the pressure and conceded several first half short corners, the first being miss-hit by Forecast, and the second rattling the post from Diggins after a clever routine between the forwards. Diggins had another opportunity from a short but saw his short go agonisingly wide, 0-0 the score at half time.
York came out the starting blocks all guns blazing second half and as a result found themselves with a handful of short corners. But for all their strengths on the pitch this was one thing they couldn’t seem to get right, and they failed to make the chances count as Leeds weathered the storm and began to push out of their half, Harvey making life difficult for York’s right-wingers.
The deadlock was finally broken around the 50th minute when Forecast picked up the ball at the top of York’s D and with little else on drove to the back line and whipped in the cross towards Greenwood who failed to connect, allowing the ball to run through to Canning. Canning seemed to miss-control the ball first time as it flew in the air, but as it came back down he controlled the shot beautifully to finish into the bottom right corner from 6 yards.
York responded well and were threatening an equaliser as they charged down the Leeds D, but the defence continued to hold out, Carlisle staying alert to make a couple of tidy saves. With just over 15 minutes to go Leeds opened up some breathing space. Superb work from Canning to get in the D resulted in a goalmouth scrap involving himself, Goulsbra and Taylor. The York keeper eventually cleared straight to Forecast who once again fluffed his shot, but it had the legs to beat the onrushing keeper and Russ Taylor made sure on the goal line, with defenders desperately trying to recover.
Despite the two goal advantage, the league leaders were still determined to get something out of the game, and they finally broke down the Leeds resistance and finally made a short corner count with 10 minutes to go. The routine was well executed and the shot across goal from the left hand side was finished at the far post into an empty goal to make it 2-1 and set up a nervous final 10 minutes.
But for all York tried, Leeds hung on and managed to run down the clock by keeping possession until the final whistle, the defenders continuing to work the ball well across the back to help Leeds push forward.
Before this match York had averaged nearly 4 goals a game this being only the 4th time they had failed to score more than 1 goal, and the defence’s hard work was reflected in the man of the match votes, Chambers coming out on top with 4 votes for his solid performance and strong passing at the back.
Apologies for last week’s error on Leeds’ current league position, this week is has been carefully analysed. At the moment they are 2nd, 13 points behind York with 2 Games in hand. But despite emulating Everton’s recent antics by beating 2nd and 1st place teams in consecutive weeks, Leeds could still find themselves fourth as Hull and Lincoln had their games postponed this weekend and this have a game in hand each. The latter 2 teams still have to play each other and Driffield however.
Next week Leeds go to rock bottom Bradford and complacency must be avoided by everyone putting in the same preparation and work rate as they have for these last 2 games. --------------------------------------------------------
In Div 8 Leeds 6s succumbed to Harrogate 4s in a game which can only be described as frustrating, losing 4-1 after an early lead through a Harrogate OG.
Leeds started strongly, keeping much of the posession in the first half. The play was flowing and leeds sat in the harrogate half for much of the first half. However all the pressure was there and noone could find a breakthrough and hit the backboard. A harrogate own goal provided the difference at half time, and the second half proved to be a different affair. The leeds game seemed to fall apart and harrogate rushed through on several ocassions, eventually putting 4 past the leeds keeper and defence. The loss of Chris Hutchinson to a broken finger will be sorely missed in the coming weeks as the season comes to a close. Painful!
Report by Russ Somerville
-------------------------------------------------------
In division 9, Leeds 7s team drew away 2 - 2 with Rotherham 5th team.
Leeds again had a strong team of keen players. You have to be keen get up for a 9am meet on a frosty morning for a trip to Rotherham. Chris was back with us as the maestro of defence, displacing Rod to right back. You have to be up early to get in such a star defence, so there was no room for Vish who was sent up field. Jamie returned for a rare outing and Rik guested.
Leeds started out well. Phil and Ayrum were fitter and playing better and, with Sarbjit and Jamie, Leeds had the upper hand in midfield initially and got the forwards in amongst the Rotherham defence. Rotherham had able defenders and a skilled keeper. The best Leeds got were a couple of short corners. The first did not go well, but Matt, dead-eye, Brown hammered in a first shot to score off the next one for a goal.
Rotherham also managed a few forays. Jack blocked the left defence and built counter-attacks with accurate passes. Rotherham got a short corner but the shot was at the keeper and the follow up saved. A Rotherham second half resurgence was expected, however, a simple penetrating move down the right put Vish close in at the right post, where he coolly shot reverse stick past the keeper.
Rotherham were stirred to greater efforts, using their superior reserves. Their intercepting got better but the tackling was not pretty. They wore down the tiring Leeds midfield to batter the defences, getting into the Leeds D quite often. Rod threw himself into several desperate saving tackles, Derek dispossessed the dribblers and Charles booted out the loose balls and several crosses and was well positioned to be in the way of deflected shots. Eventually the luck ran out and a poor shot went the wrong way off the keepers boot to give a simple tap in goal. Then a quick forward got to a loose ball to beat the advancing keeper.
Sarbjit thought that we had wasted chances in the first half, Derek thought that we had again neglected the simple passing game for fruitless dribbles, Rod looked like he had been through a battle, Vish was happy to have scored and Charles thought we were fortunate to get a draw as Leeds had not had a shot for the final half hour.
Report by Charles Mellor
-------------------------------------------------------------
Women's section
Leeds 1s lost 3-0 to a Doncaster side who are third in the Premier Division.
------------------------------------------------------------
Leeds 2s did better in Div 1, winning their third game on the bounce in a 3-0 victory over Colne Valley. 2 goals from Rosie Baker and a strike from Hilary Owen secured the points.
--------------------------------------------------------------
In Div 3, Leeds 3s were initially unsure if their game against Cleckheaton was going ahead and the team arrived at the pitch without managing to warm up on a semi frozen pitch which gradually defrosted as the game went on,
Leeds dominated the game throughout however it was a frustrating game, in which leeds had many shots on goal but just could not get it passed the keeper. Goal number one was scored my Amy Macmillan - but unfortunately it was dis-allowed! It wasnt until the second half Amy scored another goal - bringing a great sigh of relief to us all!
Report by Charlotte White
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leeds 4s went down 1-0 to Colne Valley in Div 4.
