Sheffield...........3

Ben Rhydding...2

The quest for an unprecedented place in the final of the Hockey Association Trophy ended in disappointment for Ben Rhydding Ladies on Saturday. The old enemy Sheffield snatched victory after a keenly fought, close battle in front of a highly vocal home crowd.

The following day Ben Rhydding suffered further cup disappointment when they went out of the Yorkshire Cup on penalties.

Against Sheffield Rhydding started strong and moved the ball around well, taking the game to Sheffield and putting them under pressure in their own half.

This gutsy approach soon paid off, with Rachel Doherty slotting the ball home when a

slick manoeuvre from the defence through midfield left the away side standing.

Never to be kept down for long, Sheffield soon recovered, settled into the game and began to play the sort of hockey they are so well known for.

Despite gallant attempts in defence from Gemma Anderson, Anna Collins, and Jackie Barrett, the visitors scored a well-earned equaliser and got themselves back into the match.

The game opened up with both sides displaying some of their best hockey. Ben Rhydding worked tirelessly and creatively, led by the ever-energetic Jackie Goodwin, and were soon rewarded with a short corner. Catherine French's thunderous strike from a well-rehearsed routine was judged to be too high, despite a Sheffield deflection, and the goal was disallowed.

Although bitterly disappointed by the decision, Rhydding rallied and continued to put the pressure on. Jo Wilson's deft distribution gave Doherty, Ellis and Scott ample opportunity to wear Sheffield down and another precious short corner was won.

Another well-practised manoeuvre saw Catherine French reverse-sweep the follow up from Jackie Goodwin's strike into the goal and the home side were ahead again.

Sheffield stepped up a gear in the second-half, combining the speed of their youngsters with the experience of the older players to steady the attack.

Clare Britcliffe was forced to make several brave saves, supported by some fiercesome tackling by Ismay Macdonald but eventually the pressure told, Sheffield sneaking the ball past her after some back line confusion.

Rhydding's disappointment was evident but so was their desire to go to Milton Keynes. Melissa Reynard was terrier-like in Goodwin's second-half

absence and both sides had their chances. When Sheffield scored their third with ten minutes to go they never looked like losing the lead.

Once again, Rhydding were left to dream of what might have been and perhaps regret the fact that they'd left their bottle of bubbly on ice.

York......................2

Ben Rhydding....2

(York won 3-1 on penalties)

Ben Rhydding Ladies missed out on the opportunity of their fifth successive Yorkshire Cup final, going out on penalties in the last eight against old rivals York after a closely-fought encounter.

Despite a somewhat jaded performance after a hard-fought game the previous day, and with several players recovering from the annual club dinner-dance on Saturday evening, Ben Rhydding should have secured victory in this match.

It was York who took control taking an early lead as their visitors failed to get into their stride. Ben Rhydding rallied, however, and with Ismay MacDonald dominant in the unfamiliar role of central midfield, began to string together some fine passing moves.

Rachel Doherty put in a typically hard-working performance, creating several openings in attack and scoring a deserved equaliser from a textbook short corner routine.

The game was fairly end-to-end, the Ilkley side demonstrating fine build-up play through Panteli and Scott in midfield, working well with Jackie Barrett down the right flank.

It was Macdonald and Doherty who created the second goal to put the visitors ahead, as a repeat of the short corner routine found Jackie Goodwin free on the line to slip the ball into an open goal.

Ben Rhydding's all-round defensive play let them down at times. York always looked dangerous on the break so it should have come as no surprise to the visitors when York snatched an equaliser from a penalty just minutes before the final whistle.

So for the second time in two weeks Ben Rhydding let York back into the game just when victory seemed in the bag.

Penalty taking is always a lottery and this time it was York who emerged as victors to go through to the Cup semi-final and the dubious pleasure of a fixture against high-flying National League side Doncaster.

Superb win

for BR men

Timperley.......2

BR Firsts.........5

BEN Rhydding's men started superbly and carried on throughout the whole game. They scored first through Brad King with a rebound from a short corner which he put into the roof of the net.

During the game Timperley had only two attacks which they managed to score from but the dominant team Rhydding were so much better. The scorers were Sugden (stroke), Gledhill (short corner), Smith, and to cap the afternoon off, Brad King got his second and Ben Rhydding's fifth goal with an open play goal from the top of the D.

Man-of-the-Match performances were all over the pitch but Neil Sugden was a class apart.

BR Fifths ...............4

Normanby Park.......1

After a brilliant performance last week, Ben Rhydding Fifths started with a powerful two goals in the first 15 minutes by Jonathan Till and Chris Borrett, followed by many chances on the Normanby Park goal which resulted in a short corner and a tap in goal for Graeme Bevington.

Then after a good first-half performance Normanby Park got a goal from a deflection, which slowed Ben Rhyddings pace down until the half-time whistle blew.

The second-half was taken at a slightly slower pace than the first with strong runs from Richard Dawson down the right wing.

Then mid-way through the second-half, Jonathan Till slotted another goal home for Ben Rhydding, smothering Normanby Park's confidence.

Normanby Park caused a little commotion in the last few minutes ending with the final result of 4-1 to Ben Rhydding. Man-of-the-Match was Chris Borrett.