HUDDERSFIELD Firsts opened their Yorkshire Premier Hockey League campaign with a resounding 7-0 victory over Leeds Carnegie and, in doing so, sent an early message to the rest of the League.

Leeds had the better of the early possession, but Huddersfield’s high work rate and constant pressing forced them into mistakes.

The Carnegie keeper denied both Foo and Rogers after they were put through by Hirst, but in the end it was a goalkeeping error which let Foo in to open the scoring.

Rogers doubled the lead and Foo stroked the ball into the roof of the net on the second attempt, while at the end of the first half Swinden found himself one on one on the keeper, whom he rounded and coolly slotted home for a 4-0 lead.

The second half was more of the same, with Howarth solid on the rare occasions he was needed.

Peachey and Hirst set up Rogers for his second, while Foo sealed a hat trick and man-of-the-match show with an excellent run and shot, and when Blank smashed a reverse stick shot into the net it marked a perfect start to the season.

Team: Howarth, Peachey, Swinden (M), Beatson, Courtney, Kelly (R), Gregory, Rogers, Foo, Hirst, Swinden (J), Blank, Kelly (L), Abbey.

Wakefield III 6

Huddersfield II 1

THE new-look second team were hoping to build on the solid foundation of last season, but they came across a well-drilled Wakefield team and were four goals down at the break.

Huddersfield re-organised in the second half and pulled one back, Lee deflecting the ball into the roof of the net. Despite improving, they leaked another couple of goals.

Team: McCallum, Haigh (S), Harris, Lewis, Buckley, Lee, Clark, Presto, Richardson, Austenbury, Haigh (E), Elson, Christie, Foster.

Lockwood Park Dragons 4

Northern Ladies 3

WITH a rousing battle cry from captain Kelly Fillingham and new coach Andy Jackson ringing in their ears, Lockwood Park launched the North Women’s League Division I season with a vengeance.

Entertaining new opponents Northern Ladies from Crosby in Liverpool, Dragons hit a post in the first minute and were 2-0 up after 20 minutes when new cap Becky Durrans swept a rebound into the net.

Minutes later Amanda Sowerby drove hard at the defence, and after having her first shot parried, followed up and finished clinically.

Northern pulled one back before the break, and then with Alice Cowling suffering an injury which put the Dragons defence into disarray, the visitors hit the front with further goals from goalline scrambles.

Lockwood Park rallied, however, and although Michelle Dexter suffered a near miss when one on one with the keeper, they were soon back on level terms when player-of-the-match Durrans scored her second, and then Sarah Blackburn wrapped up victory when she converted from a corner.

New players Chloe Maxwell, Laura Thomas and Durrans played strong assertive hockey which helped lift the overall team performance.

Slazengers III 1

Lockwood Park III 2

LOCKWOOD Park opened their league season with a 2-1 win over their rivals Slazengers.

Despite coming under pressure in the first half Slazengers couldn’t quite break down Lockwood Park’s defence.

By half time Lockwood Park were 2-0 up, the first coming against the run of play with the ball hit into the D for centre forward Kuda Sanyika, who hit it straight into the back of Slazengers net. The second came just before half time with a rebound off their defence and another for Sanyika to push it over the line.

A consolation goal came for Slazengers in the second half but Lockwood’s defence managed to hold them off for a win.

Player-of-the-match went to a new, young player Isabel Dutton, who played some strong hockey down the right.

Team: McCallum, Lockwood, Hamer, Moorhouse, Carr, Bates, Mallinson, Dutton, Davidson, Dobson, Sanyika