The University of York Hockey Club suffered mixed fortunes on Wednesday as an excellent 4-1 win for the Men’s 2nd team away at Leeds 5ths, was undermined by defeat for their 1st team counterparts, whilst the Men’s 3rds secured a valuable point.
After a late Northumbria equaliser denied the side victory last week, York’s Men’s 1sts poor start to their BUCS campaign continued, as they suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of table topping Durham 3rds. A resilient and battling performances was not enough to return home with a share of the spoils against a side who appear to be one of the favourites for promotion from Northern 2B.
The defeat meanwhile leaves Phil Blackburn’s side at the foot of the table with only a solitary point to show from their opening three games, putting on the pressure for the coming weeks.
The Men’s 2nds meanwhile enjoyed a more successful afternoon, as they returned home from Leeds with their first win of the season, lifting them up to four points from three games. An excellent team performance propelled York into a comfortable 3-0 lead, and despite a late Leeds 5ths goal, York sealed the victory with a fourth in the final minute to ensure an excellent day for the side, as they won 4-1.
Leeds were also the opponents for York’s Men’s 3rds, who continued their unbeaten start to the season thanks to an equaliser from Rob Smith with ten minutes left, as the side secured a valuable 1-1 draw against Leeds 6ths. In a competitive encounter, York fell behind with 15 minutes remaining, but Smith popped up to slot home the leveller five minutes later to earn York a deserved point. As a result the team remain top of the table with seven points from their opening three games.
Neither of the Ladies teams were in action, but after another weekend of Yorkshire League fixtures over the coming days, the club face a series of potentially challenging BUCS cup matches on Wednesday.