Harrogate Hockey Club Men's 1st XI sign off for 2024 in style with thrashing of derby rivals

Eddie Crossley got Joe Horne's side off to a positive start in Saturday's Yorkshire & North East Premier Division clash, opening the scoring with just seven minutes on the clock.

Chris Horne doubled the home advantage six minutes later, and although Hisham Riad pulled one back for the visitors, Charles Edmondson restored 'Gate's two-goal cushion at the start of the second quarter.

A quick-fire Fergus Brown brace extended the score-line to 5-1 just after the halfway point of the contest, but they were not finished there.

Toby Blaker made it six on 33 minutes, then Edmondson added his second of the afternoon.

Two goals in the space of 60 seconds from Jim McLaverty and James Wade then wrapped things up for Harrogate.

That victory was sufficient to see 'Gate climb above Sheffield University Bankers and back into third place in the table.

Less than 48 hours earlier, Harrogate's Men had travelled to play Sheffield University Bankers in a rearranged fixture that was postponed earlier in the season.

That game between two evenly-matched teams ended 2-2, with Edmondson and Brown the players on target.

In Yorkshire Division Two, Harrogate Men's 2nd XI bounced back from a 4-3 defeat to Ramgarhia in their previous outing with a 2-1 triumph on the road at Wakefield 3s.

Saturday's success saw Josh Lyon's side leapfrog their opponents in the league table and means that they will finish the year in third spot.

Harrogate Ladies 1st XI have it all to do in the second half of the season.

Harriet Payne's team went down 5-0 against Vitality Women's Conference North leaders Leeds last Saturday, with that loss their eighth in 10 matches so far this term.

As a result, they find themselves rooted to the foot of the table with just two points to their name. They already find themselves eight points from safety.

Harrogate Ladies 2nd XI suffered a fourth straight defeat in Yorkshire Division One, losing 4-0 at home to Sheffield 2s.

That result leaves them in ninth position and five points clear of the bottom two.