Harrogate 1–2 Driffield

Driffield make winning start to the season

Well, well, well… the season is well and truly back — and Driffield got it underway in style.

The lads made the trip over to North Yorkshire hoping to get their season up and running against newly promoted Harrogate, with captain George Martindale looking to mark his first game as skipper with three points.

Driffield started brightly, moving the ball fluidly around and creating many big chances. Jack Lucas and George controlled the midfield. Knappo and Smithy provided plenty of threat from the flanks, while Steve Waite and Mike Sowersby worked tirelessly up front, albeit with varying degrees of success when the ball actually arrived.

With around 30 minutes gone and the game somehow still goalless, Thomas Voase danced his way into the D and won a short corner. He then unleashed a reverse strike at waist height which found the back of the net. Celebrations duly followed, only for the umpires to rule it out.

Voase was clearly determined to break the deadlock and responded moments later by doing almost exactly the same thing from open play. The ball flew into the net and Driffield finally had the lead.

It was a deserved advantage at half-time after an excellent opening period from the visitors.

Driffield continued to dominate possession after the restart, moving the ball from side to side with impressive accuracy and pace. However, the equaliser came from an unlikely source.

Harrogate managed to win a short corner from a counter attack. The resulting drag flick was well saved by Chard, but the attempted clearance ricocheted off a Harrogate stick and over the line.

1–1.

Driffield were determined not to let the momentum slip and continued to push forward. After wave upon wave of pressure, Sowersby found himself in possession inside the D. His natural instinct was, naturally, to hit the ball as hard as physically possible — and, on this occasion, it worked perfectly. The Harrogate goalkeeper was left rooted to the spot as the ball flew past him.

2–1 to Driffield.

The visitors continued to dominate and came close to extending their lead. Wave upon wave of attack came but unfortunately no luck when it came to putting the ball in the net.

Driffield won another penalty corner. Voase’s flick deflected towards the goal, only for Foster to inadvertently get his stick in the way and direct the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s helmet. Anywhere else and it would surely have been a goal.

Despite the late scares, Driffield held on for a deserved 2–1 victory and an excellent start to the campaign.

There was plenty to like about the performance: strong possession, good movement, impressive work rate and, most importantly, three points on the road.

Driff HC rolls on — with next week’s fixture at the Fortress already in sight