HUDDERSFIELD lost their unbeaten tag and top spot in the Yorkshire Hockey Premier League after going down 3-2 to Sheffield Hallam’s third team.
Without five of their regulars Huddersfield faced an early start at Sheffield and never really woke up against a well-drilled Sheffield side who controlled most of the possession.
Of the chances they did create, Rob Kelly shot wide after being teed up by Martin Hirst, and when Kelly returned the compliment the Sheffield keeper pulled off a fine save to deny Hirst.
The South Yorkshire side scored first, although Huddersfield hit back almost immediately when Clem Gregory squeezed in a rebound from Ben Foo’s shot, only for Sheffield to grab a second soft goal to go in at the break leading 2-1.
Huddersfield were lucky to be trailing by only one goal having played so poorly in the first half, but they were soon out of the game when Sheffield scored from a free hit, and the visitors were in further trouble when two players picked up injuries, neither of which could be replaced as the substitute was already injured.
Mike Peachey fired one shot wide from close range, while Jimmy Swinden missed the target after an excellent run before Foo converted a late penalty. Sheffield then marshalled possession and let the clock run down, condemning Huddersfield to their first defeat of the season.
With no match this weekend, they have time to reflect on what went wrong, and hopefully get over their injury crisis before the following week’s trip to Halifax.
Team: Howarth, Peachey, Swinden (M), Beatson, Hannam, Richardson, Kelly (R), Gregory, Kelly (L), Foo, Hirst, Swinden (J).
Scarborough 3 Huddersfield II 3
THIS clash between second and third in the League was always likely to be a battle, and so it turned out as Scarborough are very strong at home.
They caused Huddersfield several problems early on making Si Waterhouse, Taylor, Maddeford and Abbey work hard in defence, while Oli Durrant pulled off some excellent saves to keep the seasiders out.
Scarborough did break through however to open the scoring, but Connell equalised, when Moscrop found him with a reverse stick cross.
Elson forced the Scarborough keeper into a good save before the home side hit the front again just before the interval.
Within five minutes of the re-start Huddersfield were back on level terms when Beaumont’s run and cross found Kullar who finished well. Suddenly it was all Huddersfield and Connell put them ahead again latching onto a Beaumont cross.
The visitors were denied further scores by some excellent goalkeeping, and then 10 minutes from time, the umpire awarded a short corner and Scarborough converted well to level the game again.
There was some end-to-end hockey in the closing stages, but neither goal was further breached, leaving Huddersfield second in the table having now gone 20 games without defeat.
Team: Durrant, Maddeford, Taylor, Moscrop, Waterhouse, Swindells, Hindmarsh, Beaumont, Foster, Connell, Abbey, Elson, Kullar.
Old Malton I 5 Huddersfield IV 0
HUDDERSFIELD’S fourth team went down to their first defeat of the season against a well-oiled Malton side.
Last season Huddersfield were hammered 10-0 in the corresponding fixture and it looked as though they may suffer a similar sort of mauling as Malton hit the front inside five minutes and maintained a stream of pressure.
As the match wore on Huddersfield started to string some good moves together, which against a lesser side may have brought them back into the match, but they were getting no joy from the North Yorkshire outfit who, cheered on by their supporters, continued to pick Huddersfield’s defence apart.
In the end the visitors were probably not too disappointed to limit Old Malton to five, while missing a few half-chances at the other end.
Paul Dallas was man-of-the-match for his tireless running, while keeper Chris Bailley performed heroics in the Huddersfield goal to keep the home side to only five.
Team: Bailley, Birdi, Blackburn, Flavin, Hales, Dallas, Holroyd, Gardner, Whittle, Golds, Dwyer. Subs: Dunn.
Harrogate 5 Lockwood Pk Dragons I 1
DRAGONS clearly missed the clinical finishing of Amanda Sowerby as they never looked like scoring despite having the majority of the play in the first half.
They started well with very quick, accurate passing and put constant pressure on the opposition, having countless short corners as Harrogate struggled to defend against player of the game Helen Hough and Rebecca Durrans who excelled down the left channel, supported by Amy Smith.
Harrogate then broke away twice to score against the run of play and added a third early in the second half before Durrans netted Dragons’ only goal of the game.
Ash Creedon saved a penalty flick, while captain Kelly Fillingham worked tirelessly, but the Lockwood Park side fell apart in the last 20 minutes and two more Harrogate goals put the game well out of reach, although perhaps not reflective of the game as a whole.
Team: Creedon, Gerrard, Benson, Thomas, Fillingham, Blackburn, Smith, Durrans, Turner, Hough, Maxwell, Dexter.
