Doncaster Ladies 1's took on Sheffield Bankers yesterday in what proved to be a well-contested and high-quality fixture, with both sides producing some strong hockey throughout.
The decisive moment came from a superbly worked Doncaster goal. Connie, who was deservedly named Coach’s Player of the Match, carried the ball brilliantly down the baseline, beating a couple of defenders before calmly pulling the ball across goal for Charlotte to finish. A goal that reflected both individual quality and excellent team execution.
The match itself was evenly balanced, with both teams competing well across the pitch. Doncaster arguably edged the contest in terms of overall play, creating the better chances and playing some of the more fluent hockey, but Sheffield Bankers remained competitive throughout, making it a very good fixture all round.
The result keeps Doncaster well placed with a game in hand still to play this week. Attention now turns to a busy schedule ahead, with matches against Lindum on Friday and Harrogate on Saturday. Two positive results could see Doncaster sitting second or third in the table behind York as the season continues to unfold.

L2
Leeds v Doncaster L2
2 : 0

Doncaster Hockey Club Ladies 2s travelled to Leeds to face Leeds Hockey Club in a competitive fixture, with the hosts taking a 2–0 win. Despite the result, Doncaster put in a strong, battling performance throughout the match. Leeds capitalised on their chances, while Doncaster defended well and worked hard across the pitch.
The score line did not reflect how closely contested the game was, with Doncaster showing plenty of positives against a strong Leeds side.

L3
Grimsby v Doncaster L3
1 : 2
On a clear and sunny morning the Ladies 3 travelled to Grimsby. From the outset a competitive match.
13 minutes in Grimsby scored from open play. Following some DHC shots on goal, Grimsby scored again, this time from a short corner.
Half time- 2:0
Three minutes in to the second half the Donny ladies pulled one back following a cross in the D from Ruby to Hollie with the final touch from Woody taking it in the back of the net. 2:1
A few minutes later Grimsby hit another goal in but the referee had already blown up for a short corner which was then defended to good effect by DHC.
Player and spectator frustrations grew for DHC with a number of umpire decisions. The ladies did well to hold their composure. They battled on right to the end and were unfortunate not to equalise.
Final score- 2:1 to Grimsby.
Lady of the match- Ruby.

L4
Doncaster L4 v Dronfield 1
2 : 2

Doncaster started brightly with attacks down the middle and looking dangerous near the D. Dronfield then came close to scoring with several fast breaks and shots that were just wide of the posts. It was Doncaster though that won the first short corner, saved well by the keeper, but with Kerry on strike the defence were caught short on another fast break. Heather was on form though and they were denied a scoring opportunity. The game see-sawed with both teams attacking and having shots saved or just missing the goal. Doncaster defended well when needed and Kerry, Grace, Izzy and Sofia combined together to clear the ball out of danger. The closest Dronfield got was when a shot was saved on the line by a Doncaster foot. Penalty stroke awarded, but the shot hit the post. The centre midfield of Jane and Lauren were under constant pressure but when they got the ball wide the space was there for Pat and Helen to run down the wings and play the ball into the D. It was after20 minutes that Saffy made a run into the D, used great stickwork and determination, and scored the first goal. Just before half time Dronfield made a break and slipped the ball into the net. 1-1 Half time.
Doncaster came out determined to keep the ball. Sophy and Libby played their part with some great calling for the ball and with strong passing player to player Doncaster forced a short corner. An accurate shot from Kerry resulted in a goal. The game continued in much the same way as the first half. Pat got into some great positions in the D and was very unlucky not to be on the scoresheet. Saffy continued to make runs down the middle and almost scored several times but Dronfield never gave up and on another of their attacks managed to scramble the ball into the net. 2-2 was how it stayed. An exciting game to watch and a fair result for both teams. They meet again next weekend, so could be interesting!

M1
Ben Rhydding v Doncaster M1
2 : 1

A late push back at Ben Rhydding was on the cards for the Men’s 1XI as we returned to North Conference action after Christmas. After negotiating the worst car park in the National League (skipper Powell’s car nearly didn’t survive one of the puddles) we were delayed 30 minutes in starting and so at the ripe old time of 6:30pm on a Saturday evening, we pushed back.
The game started as expected - Ben Rhydding surrendering possession and sitting deep, being very hard to break down whilst looking quite threatening on the break. Some decent chances for both teams in the first half came and went, but the game remained goalless as the whistle blew for half time.
Quarter 3 saw Doncaster take the lead through a well worked move down the right, finished by skipper Powell. The visiting team were in the ascendancy and created plenty of goal scoring opportunities thereafter, but were unable to add a second goal to the tally. Something they’d live to rue later on.
Quarter 4 again started with Doncaster threatening to score, but again not quite doing enough to get the ball over the line. With the home crowd behind them, Ben Rhydding equalised with just over 5 minutes to go. In the dying minutes of the game, a further Ben Rhydding goal was added from a smart PCA routine, leaving Doncaster no time to hit back.
A story of missed chances coming back to haunt us, but overall a decent performance. An
element of bad luck definitely to not come away with anything, but a cruel lesson in not taking chances when we’re on top

M2
Doncaster M2 v SUBHC 1
2 : 7

Doncaster Men’s 2s put in a huge shift against league leaders Sheffield University Bankers, turning up with a bare 11 and debutant Beau between the posts for his first outing with the 2s.
Despite the challenge, it was Doncaster who struck first. A sharp breakaway and some quick thinking saw Ollie Benson latch onto the chance and fire home a clinical volley to give the visitors a deserved 1-0 lead.
Bankers responded with three goals across the next two quarters, but Doncaster refused to roll over. Just before half-time, Benson was at it again, grabbing his second of the afternoon to keep the contest alive and send Doncaster into the break still well in the fight.
The second half was defined by relentless work rate and teamwork, with every player digging in and putting in a hard 60-minute shift for one another. However, with tired legs beginning to show late on, Sheffield eventually found space in the final five minutes and managed to add five late goals to the score line.
While the final result didn’t reflect the balance of the game, this was a performance full of positives. Against top of the table opposition, Doncaster showed resilience, togetherness, and real quality - plenty to build on as we face Wakefield at home next weekend.

M3
Doncaster M3 v Leeds 4
2 : 2

After strong performances in the last two games, Doncaster were looking to continue the run of form against a strong team who dominated the away fixture.
Doncaster came out strong but were unlucky to concede first with a scramble on the goal line which saw the ball only just cross line.
Doncaster were spurred on and an equaliser came shortly after with a neat deflection from T Beverley after the ball was crashed into the D.
Doncaster took the lead just before half time when the ball was nicked from a sloppy Leeds pass by R Claybourn and a one-two with Tom Beverley saw the ball slotted past the keeper.
The second half was even affair with both keepers making some fine saves. Unfortunately for Doncaster a drag flick effort from a Leeds short corner was deflected off a defender giving Benji little chance of saving.
Doncaster battled hard looking for a winner, however even with multiple short corners late in the game it wasn’t to be. 2-2 it finished but another strong performance from Doncaster.

M4
Slazenger 2 v Doncaster M4
5 : 0

A youthful Doncaster 4s travelled to Slazengers this week for what is always a challenging fixture against a strong and physical opposition. The match was played in true British fashion, with bright sunshine, heavy rain and even a hailstorm all making an appearance over the course of the game.
From the opening push back, Doncaster started brightly, competing well against a more experienced Slazengers side. Early pressure from the hosts led to several short corners, but Doncaster were kept in the contest thanks to the outstanding goalkeeping of Matt, whose cat-like reflexes produced a string of impressive saves. Despite this resistance, Slazengers eventually broke the deadlock shortly before half time, a deflected effort giving them a 1–0 lead at the break.
The second half saw Slazengers’ experience and physicality begin to tell. They took greater control of the game, adding several goals from open play and short corners as Doncaster continued to battle hard. Despite the score line, Doncaster showed resilience and determination throughout, but Slazengers ran out 5–0 winners by the final whistle.
A tough result, but a valuable learning experience for a young Doncaster side against a strong opponent.

M5
Doncaster M5 v Kingston upon Hull 5
4 :0

On the back of an 8-0 loss to Brigg last week, the 5th team were desperate to go into the game with Hull, with victory as their main goal. The team welcomed a couple of debutantes with Felix Cameron and George Pie stepping up into mens hockey for the first time. The game started brightly from Doncaster, with excellent passing and plenty of possession. We pushed Hulls defence peppering them with plenty of meaningful attacks and eventually a well deserved goal. This pattern continued throughout the match, with our new youngsters causing immense problems for the opposition. We kept pushing and piling on pressure, scoring 3 more goals after half time. A big shout out to Felix, George, Lucas and James who have transitioned into adult hockey with great maturity. Final score Doncaster 5ths 4, Hull 0. Scorers:- Rhys, Areeb and George.

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