OUT OF MY WAY: City of York's Glyn Humphrey tries to get past a Leeds opponent during their 1-0 success

City of York Hockey Club first team made a winning return to action after the four week break over the festive period.

A goal by James Gilbert in the first half was enough to give them a 1-0 win in a friendly match at home to Leeds - formerly the Horsforth club which became Farsley.

York created several scoring chances in the first ten minutes, and the opening goal came when Chris Dutton made a fast break down the right flank and slipped the ball across the crown of the circle for Gilbert to slap it into the goal.

As it was a friendly York took the opportunity to experiment with positional play and created more scoring chances before half-time.

Mark Moiseley, making his return to the first team, had a good chance saved and Kyle Hogg, returning to action after a long lay-off following an operation, caused problems for the visitors.

The second half developed into a more open game.

York began to feel the effects of their efforts in the first half and Leeds, coming more into the play, had a couple of chances but York goalkeeper James Riley was under-employed.

In the last 15 minutes York camped inside the Leeds '25' area but were unable to score.

However, it was a good run-out for York before their league fixture against Ben Rhydding next weekend.

City of York II played two club games in the same afternoon, losing the first one 4-3 at home to Stockton first team and then thrashing Chapeltown first team 9-1.

After conceding a goal to Stockton against the run of play, York hit back to go 3-1 ahead with goals by Colin Moore, Alex Fletcher and Nick Carter.

Stockton pulled a goal back ten minutes into the second half. York regained control of play but were unable to take their scoring chances.

Sloppy marking allowed Stockton to score twice more for victory.

Colin Moore scored a hat-trick against Chapeltown as York applied full pressure from the start and maintained it throughout the match.

Nick Carter and Alex Flatcher got two goals each, while Mark Moiseley and Peter Richardson got one each.

City of York III, with a much-changed side and experimental formation, crashed 6-0 in their non-league game away to Leeds II, who led 2-0 at half-time.

Two second half goals gave City of York IV a 2-1 win against Leeds II.

In the first quarter York created several scoring chances, particularly for Dave Lancaster, but Leeds began to wrest the initiative though York were unlucky to fall behind when the ball was deflected past David Burtenshaw into the goal.

With York in full flow in the last quarter Lancaster equalised with a superb individual goal and shortly afterwards a good team move was finished off by Ian Wiggins scoring.

York conceded a penalty stroke which Burtenshaw saved.

Lancaster, Matt Couttie and Andy Kay all played significant parts in a convincing win.

City of York V beat the VI team 2-1 in a game arranged because fixtures against original opponents from Stockton did not materialise.

Nigel Herd opened the scoring the the sixth team with a well-struck shot after ten minutes.

The fifth team began to exert pressure but squandered scoring chances and it was not until 20 minutes into the second half that Tim Downie equalised.

Five minutes later Nick Longster got on the end of a cross from open play down the left and put the fifth team ahead. The sixth team, which is City of York's development side, maintained shape and used the wings well but the fifth team were stronger in the tackle.

Neil Buckley had a good game, overlapping well down the right wing. Downie and Jez Abbas also played well.

There were hat-tricks by Richard Tanner-Smith and Julian Bellerby as City of York VIII, whose team was augmented by three or four players from higher teams in the club, beat the VII team 8-2.

The VII team gave as good as they got in the opening exchanges and there were periods when they maintained pressure inside their opponents' '25'.

The VIII team's speedy and clinical finishing gave them a significant edge.

They were always dangerous on the break thanks to Tanner-Smith, Malcolm Dutton and Bellerby, and secure in defence where Andy Deady backed up the regular players.

Dutton and Deady were the other scorers for the VIII team. Tim Senior scored both goals for the losers.

City of York Under-16 Boys finished their Sunday Yorkshire Youth League fixture with seven points despite not winning or scoring.

Two of York's opponents, Gateshead and the Yorkshire Under-14 Squad, were unable to take part so York were awarded the points. York then drew 0-0 with Rotherham.

City of York Under-12 Girls won their league fixture, beating Wakefield 2-1 in the final after having beaten Almondbury 6-0 and Wakefield 3-1 then drawn 1-1 with Adel to reach the semi-finals where they beat Ben Rhydding 2-0.

Lucy Butcher finished the day as top scorer, with eight goals. She scored three against Huddersfield side Almondbury, while Amelia Smalley got two goals and Stephanie Pearson one.

Butcher scored twice against Wakefield and Jessica Barnes got York's other goal.

Butcher was the scorer against Adel and she got both goals in the semi-final win. Barnes and Smalley scored for York in the final.

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