Read incisive match reports here from player/reporter Adam Gedye.
(Reports will be archived after a month or so)
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield Hallam Men's 2s | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 24 | 44 | 42 | |
| 2 | Sheffield University Bankers Men's 2s | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 73 | 25 | 48 | 41 | |
| 3 | Richmond (Yorkshire) Men's 1s | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 40 | 27 | 13 | 35 | |
| 4 | Chapeltown Men's 1s | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 53 | 42 | 11 | 28 | |
| 5 | Leeds Adel Carnegie LAC Mens 1 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 49 | 50 | -1 | 28 | |
| 6 | Gateshead Men's 1s | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 67 | 56 | 11 | 24 | |
| 7 | Harrogate Men's 2s | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 41 | 55 | -14 | 21 | |
| 8 | Slazenger Men's 1s | 15 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 58 | 69 | -11 | 15 | |
| 9 | Durham City Men's 1s | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 13 | |
| 10 | Leeds University Men's 2nd | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 48 | -24 | 12 | |
| 11 | Northumbria St. Georges Men's 1s | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 34 | 47 | -13 | 11 | |
| 12 | City of York Men's 2s | 17 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 25 | 61 | -36 | 8 |
Saturday 9 February – Richmond 1XI 4 Leeds Met 2XI 3
Richmond Hold On!
This weekend saw Richmond School team take on the older and more experienced side of Leeds Met University. This really was a game of two halves.
After the first ten minutes of the first half Richmond dominated the game as they had done to teams in the first half of the season. The ball was being spread round every inch of the field. First goal came from Matty Brown (Number 20 this season I think?) after a creative passage of play. This was the first of three goals scored in a ten minute period. Duncan Bottrill added to his account for the season with another well worked goal. Matty Brown made it three with a counter attack from Richmond.
Half time came and the inspirational words of ‘Just keep playing how we are playing and it will be a comfortable victory’ came from Captain Crank. However the rest of the Richmond team must have been day-dreaming at this point as the performance in the second half was nothing close to the first.
Richmond again on the counter attack put together a stunning passage of play to make it 4-0 early in the second half. Leeds had switched formation at half time which Richmond failed to identify and steadily they came back into the game. The score was 4-2 with around 20 minutes remaining. Constant bickering and challenging the umpire's decision saw the Leeds centre back sent to the side lines. This should have led to Richmond regaining control of the game but unfortunately this had the opposite effect as Richmond conceded again.
The game could go either way now. The Leeds Centre back returned to the game; you'd think he might have learned his lesson and kept his trap shut for the remainder of the game but no sooner had he returned to the field he was shown red for yet further bickering and challenging the umpire’s decision. Down to ten men Richmond controlled the remainder of the game, despite having Bullhead seeing yellow for some reason (apparently kicking)!
Next weekend sees Richmond away to Hallam on Saturday followed by a trip to Harrogate on Sunday. Maximum points are required if Richmond are to push for second place.
MOM – Will Jones top defending
DOD – Gedye, for missing yet another game this season!
Saturday 8th December
Well it snowed, we were rubbish and couldn’t score for toffee, and they were better than last time. By the end of the game I’d had so little to do that my hands had almost fallen off and I couldn’t grip my stick. Really enjoyed this trip up to
Well we were 1-0 up after about 5 mins. Matty Brown scored a drag flick from a short corner, think that actually didn’t do us any favours however and we didn’t play well for the rest of the first half.
They drew level with a well taken goal and then probably had the better of the rest of the half. After half-time we definitely played the better hockey and created a hatful of chances although couldn’t put them away. Dan Hodgson missed a few, Matty Brown missed a few, and it finished 1-1.
Rubbish!!
MOM: Matt Brown, another goal!
DOD: Wil – Top Jeans
Sat 1st December 2007
Carnage!!!
Sheffield Bankers came up on Saturday unbeaten and top of the league. They went home beaten and second after being unable to back up their words with actions.
Bankers then showed why they are top of the league as their retention of the ball was the best seen this season. Their movement led to them keeping the ball comfortably for the rest of the first half as they finished on top, however they struggled to create clear cut chances.
A dubious decision gave them a free hit outside the D and they almost replicated
An inspirational half time chat from Captain Crank and we came out firing. Bankers didn’t like the physical impact on the game from our teenagers, especially MOM Tom Hodge on his first team league debut – Embryo, the real talent in the family! The second half was even in terms of possession, however we turned the screw with our backs to the wall.
Chop Chop Chop Jonesy made a fine tackle in the D only to be adjudged to have fouled and then picked up a yellow card for opening his mouth! Bankers should have made the game safe here as their star ‘we’re gonna drub you’ striker couldn’t finish into an empty net from 8 yards.
We then turned it on as we powered through the Bankers midfield leaving Matt Brown with a one on one with the keeper. He didn’t waste anytime in beating him and just powered the ball home from the top of the circle.
2-2 then and we thought we needed another challenge as Dan Hodge picked up a yellow card for a shocking tackle. Again we made the ten men count! Jonesy, the new drag flick specialist in the team had his shot stopped on the line by the defenders foot, and gave us a penalty stroke.
Brown grabbed his 13th goal and 4th stroke of the campaign to send the home crowd into ecstasy. We still had five minutes to endure, including a corner, but Stocky was straight out to deflect the ball wide.
World class performance from us, however hats off to Bankers for a top game, with more abuse than you can shake a stick at!! P.S. Thanks for the drubbing boys!!!
MOM: Embryo – BBS
DOD: Wil Jones – The new angry eyes!
Cheers
Sat 24th Nov Leeds Uni 2nds 2 Richmond 2
Definitely should have won this game. We dominated from start to finish put were let down by our lack of ability to convert chances into goals, and their good finishing on corners.
First half and we kept the ball for the first 15. Dan Hodge came close after a top ball in from Fudgy, whereas other chances came and went. They had a decent spell for the next ten and managed to go one up converting a debatable corner. Their drag flick flew in after a deflection off my stick.
They got a second corner just before half time as Stocky was not best pleased with an umpire's decision, and they duly scored another, this time their attacker deflecting it past Dave.
Couldn’t believe we were 2-0 down and second half we were the only team in it. Stocky made a top decision keeping himself off for the duration and we just battered their goal. Our finishing was dire however and it was left to them sithing down Si ‘I’ve got more skills than Yarrow’ Kirby. Fatty Matty duly fired it past the keeper – disappointed not to be given the extra points for hitting the crossbar.
We kept on pushing and drew level when Matty and Azz linked up for Brown to grab his second as they played it around the keeper. They kept on forcing a few chances on the fast break but rarely looked like beating Dave in open play, despite our defence (yes me especially) giving them a few golden chances.
Matty should have grabbed his hat-trick but dwelled too long on the ball and Si almost scored a wonder goal, but missed the ball. Meanwhile Lowther was crippled again adding a broken leg to his broken back, twisted knee, broken neck, pulled muscles and ginger hair!! Bullhead was also not backing down from any challenges, pulling off some good wipe outs.
Couldn’t quite grab the winner though and were baffled by the final 2-2 scoreline!
DOD: Ginger, broken leg, not right good at hockey
MOM: Fatty Matty, two goals, should have been three
Sat 17th November, 2007
Richmond
A cold Saturday up in
In fact there was very little between the sides throughout the whole game as we both exchanged passages of play where we were dominating. They had a couple of chances and Dave saved well, whilst Wil ‘Hyper dribble’ Jones cleared off the line. Down the other end, Dan ‘I rescued the 6th form football team from embarrassment’ Hodgson came close whilst Lowther’s new ginger beard obviously had brought him some new skills aswell and was doing well in the middle.
Half time and it was still 0-0 and anybody's game. The second half followed a very similar pattern with the game balanced. It hinged on their ability to convert corners whereas ours didn’t quite come off. MOM Matty came close with his drag flick, whereas their one went in. Also we couldn’t quite get to the rebounds first, whereas they did.
All in all, a really good game which could have gone either way and which went slightly out of control in the last 10 minutes with the umpires brandishing cards, although a little late on in the game to make any serious impact.
MOM: Fatty Matty, top work up front and top stick tackle!
DOD: Gedye again, Dancing on Ice
10 th November
The game started well with both teams creating chances early on. It was going to be one of those games where the opposition were going to play dirty as they knew it wasn’t going to be their day.
Simon ‘The Wizard’ Kirby opened the scoring with a reverse stick strike which he placed with confidence in the bottom left hand corner. This seemed to kick
The second half saw Gateshead come out a much better team and had
Next week sees fourth place Chapeltown come to town. Should be a very interesting encounter!!
Mom – Dave Hayley, yet another top performance.
Dod – Gedye, no commitment.
3rd November Richmond 1st XI v Durham
A glorious Saturday in Richmond and the hosts satisfied the large crowd with a comfortable 4-1 victory at home to Durham. Despite never really turning it on we managed to control everything Durham threw at us.
Man of the Match Matt Hodge led from the back with some top aerials, getting us out of danger with some top whangidge!! Azz put us one up with a confident finish after rounding the keeper, showing Gedye where the goal was after some of his electrifying runs!
Dan Hodge made it two with his fourth of the campaign. Think those goals have been finshed from a total distance of about five yards!! Who cares though, they all count!
Second half and our domination continued, despite them forcing a few shorties. They had a good spell and got their goal from a short as a Richmond mistake saw the ball fall to a Durham man who finished.
Fatty Matty then produced an awesome finish after Azz set him up to make the game safe. He somehow dribbled the ball around the keeper in the space of the yard to continue his top goal scoring form. The Gingerbread man then finished the game off with a great dive to slap the ball home following good link up play with Brown.
MOM: Fudgy, top Aerials!!
DOD: Gedye, hoovering up at the back.
28 Oct 2007 Urmston 1sts 3 Richmond 1sts 2
Man, Urmston is a long long long way away!! Felt like I’d been punished after our Halloween exploits the night before. Missing a few players aswell for the big long trip, however put a fairly solid performance in. Had the worst possible start though. Two minutes gone, they were a goal up after their striker broke through the defence and unleashed hell on Dave. He then made it two with a fairly useful drag flick.
Felt we were playing the better stuff as we kept the ball fairly well and created chances. Shorties were forced and Brown and Pepe both went close. Chop Chop Chop Jonesy managed to get ‘concussion’ aswell although I reckon he was just playing up for his Dad’s camera! They always looked dangerous on the break however they couldn’t grab that crucial third goal. That man Pepe stepped up again though and brought us back into it just before the break. That lad has so many skills he won’t have to pay a bill in his life, just needs to work on his reverse stick and he’ll be there.
Second half was more of the same, Embryo was enjoying a top debut over on the right whilst Kirby was mesmerizing them with his slow motion sloppy fish! Pepe grabbed his second as we pulled level. With Stockyabout to pull him off for not moving he flicked the ball past the keeper after good link up play with Brown We just ran out of puff at the end, and a barrage of attacks came our way. We could have nicked it, and they missed some sitters, however they snatched the win with two minutes left. A reverse stick shot from the top of the D, just sneaked past Dave into the bottom corner.
Teeny Brown and Tom Hodge both deserve a mention for great debuts for the firsts, whilst thanks to Big Rich and Doctor Hodge for taking the long trip over to Manchester.
MOM: Gedye Whoop, Whoop!!!
DOD: Idiot, what’s the time Mr Wolf?
27 Oct 2007 Leeds Adel Carnegie 1sts 1 Richmond 1sts 4
After world class Sat Nav from BrownRichmond found themselves in Adel for a battle for third place with Leeds Poly. Richmond fielded the full strength XI with Lowther forced down to the 2s and started brightly. They fizzed the ball about the park as Leeds happily gave the back four space to pick holes in their midfield. These holes were exploited as Azz grabbed his third goal of the campaign. Top play from Kirby down the right found Pepe and he expertly managed to float the ball over the keeper, stop it in mid air before it hit the back of the net. We then let them back in it as their man lost Fudgeat the back post to deflect the ball past Dave.
Half Time 1-1 and a rousing team talk from Captain Crank lifted us into a top second half, as we played some of our best stuff of the season. The centre midfield partnership of Idiot and Bullhead was inspirational and sent the team to new heights. Dan Hodgson scrambled another top short corner routine in, are we ever gonna get them sorted??!! All that time at training and we still can’t get the ball on target!! Ok, whinge over!
Then it was left to the Brown show as he grabbed two pearlers including him managing to round the keeper, plus some lovely link up play with the Chav Pepe set up an empty net finish. We rode our luck at times, they had a few shorties that came close, and they should have made it 2-2 but their attacker thought it’d be a good idea to use his feet instead of a stick on our goal line – think that he had their DOD sewn up!!
4-1 win and a top performance deserved some top teas. Pasta and Ragu didn’t quite cut it however. Come on Leeds sort it out, get some pies on like the footballers!!
MOM: Kirbythe new, more talented John Yarrow
DOD: Gedye, again!!