Halifax Ladies go top with win over Doncaster
HALIFAX LADIES moved to the top of North Division Two East with a 3-1 win over Doncaster in heavy rain at Park Lane.
Halifax came out strongly with some great team play allowing them to push Doncaster back from the off.
A through ball from Katie Wood to Dani Parker gave the striker a one on one with Doncaster’s keeper and she calmly placed the ball in the top right corner giving Halifax a 1-0 lead at half time.
Doncaster came out in the second half in determined mood and a deflected through ball threw Halifax off their stride for a second and a goal was conceded.
But a well placed pass from Lauren Vials found Wood, who used a reverse sweep to open up a 2-1 lead.
Some speedy runs from Amelie Horner down the right allowed her turn provider for Wood to place the ball in the back of the net again and extend the lead to 3-1.
Halifax withstood several short corners and, in the final minutes, Emma Liversidge cleared by ball off the goal line as the home side took over the league leadership.
HALIFAX LADIES III had a top of the table clash against second place Scarborough, slipping to an agonising 3-2 reverse.
They started the game well, with Nicola Boulton putting an early cross in front of goal, which was bundled in by a Scarborough defender to put the home side ahead within the first two minutes.
Scarborough then started to push forward with some quick passing and skilful play.
Defenders Alison McManus, Sam Garlinge and Emma Cavalier worked hard to keep the away side out for the first 15 minutes and goalkeeper Kathy Shao was called upon frequently to help, responding with some brilliant saves.
But the continued pressure saw Halifax concede only their third goal of the season from a well worked short corner. A second goal followed shortly after and a third just before half time.
Halifax came out of the blocks in the second half and applied more pressure against the Scarborough defence.
Louise Evans, Margaret Bottomley and Courtney White all created chances and were unlucky not to convert.
With 10 minutes to go, Cavalier and Evans put some great passes together and managed to get the ball to Bottomley in the D and she put the chance away to give the home side hope of getting a point out of the game.
A penalty corner awarded in the last couple of minutes gave Halifax a real chance, but the shot on goal was saved by the Scarborough goalkeeper.
The defeat ended Halifax’s 27 game unbeaten run as they moved to second in the table.
Halifax’s men’s third team won 3-1 against Thirsk with a good all-round team performance.
Bryn Hans scored twice in a man of the match display and Chris Knight also got on the score sheet.
The fourths took 16 players to the game against top-of-the table Wakefield and deserved more than the 2-1 defeat, with the Wakefield keeper producing several excellent saves to deny Dave Milner, Paul Graham and Ben Speak, playing his first game for the team.
Speak had opened the scoring, firing in from close range after good work from Milner and Andy Bottomley.
Youngsters Jamie Pearson and Luke Hereford made their debuts, with Hereford unlucky to have his goal disallowed.
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