Leeds Hockey Club Ladies 1sts look safe despite being frozen out in North East

The ladies were riding high from their victory the previous week and raring to take on a University of Durham team after holding them to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season.

On this occasion, however, Durham were never looking like settling for a draw. Straight from the off, the home side pushed forward and put the Leeds goal under pressure, taking only seven minutes to take the lead through Lottie Gill.

Sixteen minutes gone and Durham had doubled their lead via Charlotte Childs after some slick passing had broken open the visitors’ defence.

Leeds rallied and began to play themselves back into the match, but just couldn’t find a way past Tegner in the University goal.

With just under an hour played, Durham put the game to bed, ending all hopes of Leeds gaining anything from the trip north, after Gill converted a short corner for her second – and the home side’s third.

Leeds look safe in their first season in the National Conference, however, needing just two more points from their final four games.

Once the ladies’ game was over, the men took to the field hoping to exact revenge for their counterparts’ result. Durham Men have pushed league leaders Bowden all the way so far this season but Leeds were out to dent their title chances with a win.

This wasn’t looking likely at half-time though, as Leeds found themselves two goals down after defending at short corners once again seemed to be their downfall.

Max van Laak and Ben Butler-Felton took their chances, scoring one a piece to give Durham a commanding lead. In games past, this would have signalled the start of the end for Leeds but, after a recent run of bad results, they were not willing to let this be the case.

Just four minutes into the second half, Tom Roberts popped up to bring Leeds within one, latching on to a great pass that split the home defence. The game ended in the best way possible for the Leeds Men, as the last 15 minutes saw their determination pay off with Harry Lakfer and Carlos Hollyman increasing their season’s goal tallies and giving the side from Yorkshire a 3-2 win. Although out of the running for the top spot, Leeds showed they still plan on having their say on the final standings.