Category Archives: Boys Under 10
On Sunday 22nd January 2012 the under 10 boys A team were starting in Division 1. The team comprised Ollie Dale (GK); George Hunt (Sweeper); Henry Houseman (Left Mid), Archie Lawson (Right Mid), Tim Durkin (Left forward); Mathew Newman (Centre forward/mid) and Flyn Mullins (Right Forward).
Thirsk 2 Rotherham 2. This was an end to end game with the first goal coming from a cross into the D which Mathew quickly put past the keeper and the second from an early shot from Flyn at the edge of the D.
Thirsk 0 York 4. The York game in December resulted in a 0-0 draw but unfortunately the boys were not on form today. Too many balls came through the centre of the pitch and the defence were not strong enough for York’s attacks. Ollie fought well on the back line but unfortunately the strikers had too much space and opportunity.
Thirsk 0 Harrogate 3. The result did not reflect the effort and opportunities. This was a very even game. The boys looked positive and were on their toes having been reminded that they had beaten most of the teams previously and were as good as or even better than today’s opposition. The whole team worked much harder and attacked the goal several times but frustratingly did not find the back of the net.
Ben Rhydding 3 Thirsk 1. Ben Rhydding had won all their matches today and not conceded a goal until Archie managed to get a shot past the goalie. Thirsk battled to the end. Ollie had an incredible game and was peppered by Rhydding’s forwards on several occasions.
Well done boys. You picked up the pieces and worked harder in the Harrogate and Ben Rhydding matches. You are a good team of players with great potential and have all improved since the beginning of the season. Tim Durkin had his debut game for the first team and worked hard on the left managing to create some good opportunities and gained confidence as the morning progressed. Well done Tim. Thank you to the team supporters who braved the cold. Sue Houseman, Team Manager.
Thirsk Boys U10 B Squad – Division 3 (of 4) Results:
Thirsk B 0 – 3 Leeds
Thirsk B 0 – 0 Driffield
Thirsk B 0 – 0 Slazenger
Thirsk B 0 – 2 Leeds
Thirsk B 0 – 0 Driffield
Thirsk B 1 – 1 Slazenger
The U10 league was restructured after Thirsk’s solid introduction to the league in December, and Thirsk were effectively promoted from the bottom league. As a result, the opposition were expected to be somewhat stronger.
The team were: Dan Garlick, Arthur Webster-Jones, Fred Hunt, Harry Cavadias, Connor Wilkinson, Sebastian Graham, Thomas Molyneux, William Molyneux, Joe Stobbs
Thirsk started slowly in the first match and were unable to retain possession for any significant period of time. Leeds used their forwards effectively to bypass the Thirsk defence and leave Daniel with little protection from a series of attacks. The remaining matches saw a different Thirsk team on the pitch, although the results did not match the skills and effort of the team. In his first tournament, Joe settled well in the central defensive role and spread play effectively between the wide players and centre forward. Sebastian (mainly central), Connor (mainly left), Harry and William (mainly right) showed good determination to force saves from the keepers in each of the remaining matches. It was difficult to see how we failed to score until the final game when so many chances were created. Thomas, Fred and Arthur played well in defence alongside Joe, putting into practice the tackling skills from training. During the course of the day, Connor, Sebastian and Thomas suffered a variety of injuries, but with 9 in the squad we were able to keep going effectively, and each of them came back after a rest to help the team continue. In the final game, Joe put a great run together from inside his own half to score the only goal of the day and deservedly won the Players’ Player of the Day award, but a good indication of the strength of the team was that votes were spread across 5 players. Although the results mean that we will play the final tournament of the season in League 4, the squad should be more that capable of bouncing straight back up. Player of the day: Joe Stobbs. Thanks to Sally Hunt for umpiring and all the parents for their support.
On Sunday 11th December 2011 Thirsk entered a boys U10 B team into the monthly Yorkshire Youth hockey league for the first time this season with a squad of eight, taking their place in Division 3.
Squad: Dan Garlick, Tim Durkin, Arthur Webster-Jones, Fred Hunt, Harry Cavadias, Connor Wilkinson, Sebastian Graham, Will Norman
Results: Thirsk B 0 – 2 Sheffield Thirsk B 0 – 0 Leeds Thirsk B 0 – 0 York B Thirsk B 1 – 0 Wakefield B Thirsk B 3 – 0 Chapeltown
It was cold and frequently wet, but the boys started the first game brightly. However, the Sheffield team showed their experience from playing in a higher division and kept the pressure on Thirsk, with Dan making some good saves, assisted by good tackling from Tim and Harry in front of him. Unfortunately the defence was taken by surprise at a short corner, taken when the umpire was still talking to them, and a great shot was in, before they moved. Further pressure resulted in another goal with Thirsk making only occasional breaks.
The second match was very even, with plenty of work for attack and defence. Using the full width of the pitch created plenty of space and Seb in particular was tackling well and breaking forward, trying to find a pass approaching the D. However despite chances at both ends, the match finished goalless.
The third match also finished goalless, but Thirsk had far more chances to seal a victory than the York team they had beaten 3 weeks earlier. Tim pushed forward in front of the other 2 defenders to support the attacking trio of Seb, Will and Connor, all of whom had shots saved or just wide. Thirsk finished one player short after Tim was injured from a rising ball into his knee kicked out by the keeper.
Fortunately Tim’s knee recovered sufficiently for the fourth match and we were joined by Arthur, who provided some more solidity to the defence. Tim switched to right defence and Harry was able to take the central role supporting the forwards. At last the sideline was able to cheer the first goal as Seb pushed a loose ball into the bottom corner from close range. The defence was restricted to clearing up a few breaks, but we were unable to add to the lead.
In the final match, we retained the same formation and completely dominated Chapeltown. Sebastian slotted home 2 more goals and Tim added a third, but it could easily have been more. Connor and the other forwards were now stringing passes together well and were alert on the restarts tackling back to maintain pressure on the D.
Overall, these were excellent results, finishing third (of six) in the league. I am confident we can finish a place higher for promotion next time. Player of the day: Connor Wilkinson.
Thanks to Jonny Scaling for umpiring, Will for joining us from Northallerton for the day, Dan for assisting Chapeltown with some extra matches in goal, and parents for their good natured support.
Our squad of 8 players turned out for the last tournament of 2011 on a wet and cold morning but this did not stop the boys enthusiasm and determination to win.
Thirsk 3 – 0 Airedale 0
The boys dominated the match and continually put pressure on Airedale’s defence. A strong cross from Flyn Mullins was slotted past the keeper by Matthew Newman for an early goal. Flyn scored the second goal from a slip from Matthew. The third goal came from Flyn following a drive down the right wing. On a couple of occasions Airedale took advantage of the mid-field pushing up and created some strong shots at goal but Ollie Dale was on his toes and made some strong clearances.
Thirsk 0 – 0 Harrogate
At previous fixtures Harrogate had seemed to have the edge on Thirsk but not today. This was an exciting end to end match with some good attacking breaks but we couldn’t get the ball home. Ollie had a lot to do with Harrogate finding gaps in our defence and having several cracking shots on target. Ollie saved the game for Thirsk.
Thirsk 0 – 2 Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding were the strongest team out today and everyone battled hard and despite some strong attacks on goal we didn’t get the ball in the net.
Thirsk 2 – 1 Wakefield
Wakefield set off on their toes and put a goal away in the first minute. Thirsk battled on and the boys turned the game around. Wakefield’s goalie failed to clear a strong shot from Archie Lawson and Matthew quickly took advantage and put the ball away on the rebound. The second goal came from Sam Nicholls who took a quick self-pass from outside the D and slipped it to Matthew who slammed the ball onto the backboard.
Thirsk 0 – 0 York
At the mini’s tournament York finished with a 4-2 win but we were a strong match for today’s game. This was a great game to watch with the ball flowing well around the field with some very good breaks and strong shots at goal at both ends. Again Ollie made some outstanding saves and our forwards were unfortunate not to get the ball past York’s keeper to claim the game.
Well done boys on such a wet and cold day. You ALL played really well today and worked hard until the end. I am proud to watch you play and grow in strength from game to game. The standard in the league continues to improve as you all gain more experience. The shooting and rebound practise at training really paid off and we saw plenty of pressure on the oppositions defence which materialised in goals. Ollie had an outstanding day and kept the score very respectable and I received several praises from other teams on his performance and the standard of goalkeeping in the division. Again thank you to Dan Lawson for umpiring and parental support.
Match report by Sue Houseman, team manager.
Another round of games on 20th November saw Thirsk U10 Boys play in match 1 against Ben Rhydding; the team ranked at the top of the 1st Division. Thirsk played well and unfortunately an early short corner didn’t find the net. Ben Rhydding had some good breaks with shots hitting the goal post twice. Ollie Dale had a great game in goal with lots to do. Thirsk too had some good opportunities but Ben Rhydding eventually took the lead and continued to pressurise the Thirsk goal. The team worked right to the end and thanks to Ollie Dale’s great saves finished with a very respectable result. Match 2 vs. York saw Thirsk attacking immediately from the start and won a short corner. Flynn Mullins injected to Matthew Newman who slipped the ball back. Flynn’s shot deflected from a York defender into goal. York then dominated possession and scored twice to take the lead despite Ollie having another remarkable game. The match evened out with Flynn having some great runs up the right wing and releasing into the D to Matthew but despite more attacks Thirsk were unable to find an equaliser. Match 3 vs. Ben Rhydding B saw Thirsk secure a couple of short corners and Matthew put a good shot into the top right corner which was disallowed (too high). Finally Flynn was rewarded with a goal following a great solo run. Thirsk continued to create more chances with George Hunt and Sam Nichols clearing up the occasional break. The midfield worked hard. Archie fed the ball well through to Flynn and also made some good runs on the right. The great team effort was rewarded with a well deserved win. In the final match vs. Harrogate saw Thirsk start in dominant form and were unlucky not to take the lead during a goal mouth scramble. Harrogate then put a great move together on the break to take the lead. Sam worked well and fed Henry down the left and created some good opportunities. The match continued end to end with Ollie in action in goal but Thirsk conceded a second. Overall it was an unlucky result but not down to lack of effort. Overall it was another great day’s hockey. The boys are settling down well into their positions and working as a team. Ollie had a fantastic game in goal and was well supported by George. The midfielders Sam and Archie demonstrated great match awareness and kept feeding the ball out to the flanks and the wingers who were crossing the ball well into the D. Well done to Arthur who worked hard and stood up to the challenge of the 1st Division in his debut game for Thirsk. Thank you to Dan Lawson for umpiring and to the parents for their support.
Thirsk U10 Boys Sunday 13th November 2011 Today’s team was Ollie Dale, George Hunt, Sam Nichols, Archie Lawson, Henry Houseman, Matthew Newman, Arthur Webster-Jones and Flynn Mullins.
Thirsk 0 – 1 Ben Rhydding A The opening game saw us up against the team ranked at the top of the 1st Division. Thirsk played well and unfortunately an early short corner didn’t find the net. Ben Rhydding had some good breaks with shots hitting the goal post twice. Ollie Dale had a great game in goal with lots to do. Thirsk too had some good opportunities but Ben Rhydding eventually took the lead and continued to pressurise the Thirsk goal. The team worked right to the end and thanks to Ollie Dale’s great saves finished with a very respectable result.
Thirsk 1 – 2 York Attacking immediately from the start Thirsk won a short corner. Flynn Mullins injected to Matthew Newman who slipped the ball back. Flynn’s shot deflected from a York defender into goal. York then dominated possession and scored twice to take the lead despite Ollie having another remarkable game. The match evened out with Flynn having some great runs up the right wing and releasing into the D to Matthew but despite more attacks Thirsk were unable to find an equaliser.
Thirsk 1 – 0 Ben Rhydding B Thirsk started the match against Ben Rhydding B knowing the last time we met was a 0-0 draw and we needed a win against them to give us an opportunity to stay up in Division 1. We secured a couple of short corners and Matthew put a good shot into the top right corner which was disallowed (too high). Finally Flynn was rewarded with a goal following a great solo run. Thirsk continued to create more chances with George Hunt and Sam Nichols clearing up the occasional break. The midfield worked hard. Archie fed the ball well through to Flynn and also made some good runs on the right. The great team effort was rewarded with a well deserved win.
Thirsk 0 – 2 Harrogate Thirsk started in dominant form and were unlucky not to take the lead during a goal mouth scramble. Harrogate then put a great move together on the break to take the lead. Sam worked well and fed Henry down the left and created some good opportunities. The match continued end to end with Ollie in action in goal but Thirsk conceded a second. Overall it was an unlucky result but not down to lack of effort.
Overall it was another great day’s hockey. The boys are settling down well into their positions and working as a team. Ollie had a fantastic game in goal and was well supported by George. The midfielders Sam and Archie demonstrated great match awareness and kept feeding the ball out to the flanks and the wingers who were crossing the ball well into the D. Well done to Arthur who worked hard and stood up to the challenge of the 1st Division in his debut game for Thirsk. Thank you to Dan Lawson for umpiring and to the parents for their support.
Sue Houseman Team Manager
Oh Yes! We’re back into Division One!
Today’s team comprising Ollie Dale (goalkeeper), George Hunt, Samuel Nichols, Henry Houseman, Flyn Mullins, Matthew Newman, Daniel Garlick and Archie Lawson were keen to take on the Division 2 teams following relegation from Division 1 at Pocklington on 9th October. Our training sessions since our last matches had focussed on striking at goal, following up for the rebounds and tackling. Hopefully these would pay off today.
Thirsk 1 – Slazengers 0. We were unfortunate to be playing into the low sun for this match but it didn’t stop our boys being focussed on finding the net. Keeper Ollie and sweeper George had very little to do in this game. Our forwards settled down into their positions and soon took advantage of the space they had created thanks to wingers Daniel and Flyn for staying out wide. We saw some good attaching breaks and eventually Henry’s determination paid off with a well deserved goal – and our first goal of the season. Archie rolled on for Henry onto the right for his debut match for Thirsk. Together Sam and Archie controlled much of the game feeding the ball through to the forwards. Centre forward, Matthew, kept Slazenger’s defence busy and was unfortunate not to find the net.
Thirsk 1 – Doncaster. The boys got off to a confident start. We saw some good hockey with the ball being passed between players creating some promising breaks. Having dominated Doncaster’s half Matthew finally found the net for Thirsk and put us in the lead. Again the defence had little to do and when challenged by Doncasters’s forwards George and Ollie calmly took control of the situation.
Thirsk 3 : Chapeltown 0. What a game! The forwards were fired up and determined to score and continually hammered Chapletown’s defence. They were following up everything and thinking about their positions and looking for the ball on the far posts. Matthew managed to slip 2 through past the keeper and Flyn’s scored his first goal of the season.
Thirsk 1 – Sheffield 0. Sheffield had played well in their earlier games and we knew this would be a harder match. Our defence had more to do but when challenged George calmly gained possession and was well supported by Archie and Sam. Ollie again watched the ball and cleared it confidently out of the D. Our midfielders and forwards worked well together and we hammered their defence and finally Matthew again put the ball home for Thirsk.
Thirsk 0 : Ben Rhydding (B) 0. We had played four and won four but knew Ben Rydding’s B team was going to be our toughest opponents. Having played them in the 1st Division and finishing with a 0-0 draw we were keen to end with either a win or draw at worst.
The boys played tremendously well and this was a superb game to watch. The boys were well matched and had to work hard. Everyone battled well especially Flyn whose enthusiasm remained until the end. The ball travelled from end to end and despite being tired they didn’t give up until the whistle was blown. Well done to all the team especially to Archie who had his debut for Thirsk today and slotted in well proving to be a versatile player and looking at home on the pitch. You are all settling well into your positions and going from strength to strength. Now you’ve found the goal and have a taste for winning I look forward to seeing you play again in the 1st Division. A big thank you must also go to Mr Skippings for coming along to umpire and to all our supporting parents. Sue Houseman. Team Manager
A keen team comprising Ollie Dale (goalkeeper), George Hunt, Samuel Nichols, Henry Houseman, Flyn Mullins, Mathew Newman and Daniel Garlick arrived in good time for a pre-match practise at defensive and attacking penalty corners which stood them in good stead for the day’s play. The team inherited a Division 1 slot following last season’s success and were up against the best ranked teams in the league. The first three games results:-
Thirsk 0 : York 1 Thirsk 0 : Rotherham 0 Thirsk 0 : Ben Rhyyding (A) 2
Despite being up against the top teams in the opening three matches we only conceded 3 goals from an organised defence and great determination was shown from the defenders Sam, George and keeper Ollie. Ollie made several very impressive saves. In an earlier game we witnessed Rotherham conceding 5 : 1 to Ben Rhydding’s A team and later on Wakefield conceded 5 goals to Ben Rhydding. Our score reflected the strength of our defence and one we should be proud of. These first three matches saw a few good clearances and attacking breaks but unfortunately the forward line had been drawn back to support the team and lacked pressure on the opposition’s defence.
The fourth match saw an improved game with players beginning to take more control of the game and create several opportunities putting pressure on Wakefield’s defence. A series of short corners were struck well by Mathew – a couple just missing the left post and several on target saved by the keeper. Further strong attacks from Henry, Flynn, Mathew and Daniel created great chances but we just couldn’t squeeze the ball home. The team were very unlucky not to have scored. Result Thirsk 0 : Wakefield (A) 0.
The final game saw an opening attack from Ben Rhydding’s B team with a shot being lifted in the D hitting George’s hand resulting in him having to leave the pitch for the remainder of the game. A loaned player replaced George in defence but had very little to do for the remainder of the game as the forward line, determined to score, continually peppered the attacking D. The boys played tremendously well and we saw the practised routine of playing the ball out wide onto the right wing then down the line before feeding it across for the shot at goal being used to great effect. The forwards pounded the keeper on several occasions but chose what the ball just would not go home. It was a superb game to watch with the forwards goal-hungry dominating the game. Result Thirsk 0 : Ben Rhydding (B) 0.
Well done to all the team especially to George and Daniel who had their debut matches for Thirsk and Division 1 games. Thank you to Ken Shannon for umpiring and to all supporting parents.
Thirsk U10 Boys competed in the final Yorkshire Youth Hockey league fixtures of the season at Weetwood, Leeds on Sunday 17th April. Thirsk were in Division 2 of 4, having twice played in Division 1 over the season.
The day started with a game against Airedale, and Thirsk were quick to take the lead as Ben McIntosh scored his first goal of the season, having being put through by Connor Watson. Ben returned the favour for the second Thirsk goal supplying Connor who slotted it into the corner. The rout was completed when William Wilson broke free down the right and again Connor was able to score from William’s cross. A fine 3-0 win to start the day.
The next game with Doncaster was again dominated by Thirsk. James Houseman controlled the game from deep centre field, and he found William, and Mathew Newman on the flanks with regularity. Mathew threaded a pass through to Ben for Thirsk’s first goal, and William was able to set up Connor for the second goal. Doncaster did put Henry Housman in defence under pressure, and Ryan Tempest in goal had a save to make, but it was Thirsk who powered on with Ben grabbing a second, and securing another 3-0 win.
Rotherham were the next opponents, and had yet to concede a goal, they gave James and Henry plenty to do in the early part of the game, but Thirsk defended well. As the game wore on, Thirsk were able to get their attacking play going. Ben’s great cross field pass picked out William in space, and he strode confidently into their circle before firing home. The result was soon assured when William met another cross from Ben at the back post, a fine 2-0 win.
The penultimate game with York was very end to end from the start. Thirsk had early chances, with Connor shooting just wide, and Mathew also going close. At the other end Ryan again made a good clearance. Thirsk seemed to be getting the better of the game and William was unlucky to have his good shot saved, the York keeper making several more good saves, and Thirsk could not find the net. In the end all the chances counted for nothing as a 0-0 draw was all there was to show for it.
To end the season as Division 2 champions, Thirsk had to win the final game against Ben Rhydding, who to this point also had three wins and a draw. It was not an easy game, and the quality passing of Ben Rhydding put Thirsk’s defence under a lot of pressure. Henry had his best game for Thirsk making many important clearances, and James worked hard to set Thirsk from defence to attack. Ryan managed another good save, and from one of his kicks Thirsk were able to break out, and Ben passed forward to Connor who guided his shot into the corner for a 1-0 lead (and his 20th goal of the season). Thirsk gained confidence from the goal, and although Ben Rhydding pressed, they were not able to force another shooting chance. Thirsk nearly made it 2-0, as William had another shot saved, but the 1-0 scoreline ensured that Thirsk were crowned champions.
Well done to all who played so well, and many thanks to all the parents, and grandparents who have supported so well throughout the season.
Sunday 3rd April 2011
U10 Boys
The first game with Sheffield was quite an equal encounter. Ollie Dale in the Thirsk goal had a couple of saves to make, and Flynn Mullins did well in defence. At the other end Connor Watson, and Ben Collinson went closest to opening the scoring. Thirsk really should have won but had to settle for a 0-0 draw. Against Bridlington in the next game Thirsk were soon in the lead when some fine passing hockey involving 5 players, culminated in Ben McIntosh’s cross been met at the back post by Ben Collinson. Ben got his second goal soon after when Connor’s clever cross was deftly deflected past their goalkeeper. Thirsk had more chances but failed to add to the 2-0 scoreline.The final pool game was with unbeaten Wakefield and Thirsk battled really well. Sam Nichols played brilliantly, confidently defending before setting several great plays off down the right. Matthew Newman set Connor away but his effort was saved. Wakefield broke clear and opened the scoring from close range, but Thirsk did not give up, and both Ben’s had efforts saved. A hope full clearance by Wakefield drew a mistake from Ollie and they capitalized to score again and win 2-0.
Thirsk’s semi final was with Ben Rhydding who were unbeaten thus far. Thirsk were under pressure from the start, and despite great defending from Henry Houseman, and Sam, and some fine saves from Ollie, Thirsk went 1-0 down. Thirsk nearly replied at the other end but Connor’s effort was well saved. Ben McIntosh worked so hard to close down the Ben Rhydding midfield, but his efforts were not enough and Thirsk ended up 3-0 losers.
The 3rd/4th place game was against Wakefield and Thirsk took the lead this time when Ben M’s through ball was taken on by Ben C, and his shot beat their keeper. Thirsk in this game were the better team, and were unlucky to concede an equalizer. Confusion over an umpiring decision meant that the Thirsk players stopped playing, allowing an easy put away. Thirsk battled on and so nearly won it as Connor shot inches wide. The 1-1 draw meant that Thirsk finished in joint 3rd place, and qualified for next week’s North of England Club mini hockey Championships. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who gave such great support.
L-R: Flynn Mullins, Ben McIntosh, Ben Collinson, Ollie Dale, Oliver Houseman, Connor Watson, Matthew Newman, Sam Nicholls
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