Katie starts Halifax goal feast

Katie Love gave them the lead inside five minutes and midway through the first half Dani Parker rounded the keeper following a fantastic assist from Michaela Holroyde.

Halifax went 3-0 up when a fabulous through ball from Ruth Prosser enabled Parker to produce another fine finish.

Parker made it 4-0 with an excellent chip but Driffield got one back before half time.

Halifax continued to press with good assists from Katie Love, Becca Camp and Amy March while Leah Kalter, Natalie Tyson and Regan Midgley were strong at the back.

Parker extended the lead and there was a deserved goal for Amelie Horner on her first team debut. Driffield clawed two goals back but Parker signed off a player of the match performance with her fifth goal.

Halifax men’s first team were unable to give Jake Bamforth a winning send-off, losing 4-0 away to Sheffield Hallam thirds in the Yorkshire Premier.

Bamforth was playing his last match for the game before emigrating to Australia.

Matthew Metcalfe’s men travelled to Abbeydale with a youthful side and in high spirits but soon lost key centre back Connor Sutcliffe with a serious looking knee injury. Debutant Michael Broadbent came on.

Broadbent, along with fellow youngsters Jakob Morley and Elliot Bullick, had an excellent game, despite coming up against experienced opponents.

Halifax fell behind after 10 minutes, when an innocuous looking penalty corner was turned into his own goal by Will Chan. Hallam doubled their lead with another scrappy goal that saw Matthew Breton beaten from close range.

Skipper Michael Jones, covering for Sutcliffe in defence, began to influence play and it was his break, followed by a precision pass from midfielder Gabe Coleman that almost saw Halifax pull a goal back, but Bullick was unable to find the required touch at the back post.

Another Jones drive caused mayhem in the Hallam defence, but Pete Balmforth hesitated whilst the ball was in the air and the home side cleared.

Two goals early in the second half, including another unlucky own goal, dashed Halifax hopes of a comeback and despite some entertaining play, they were unable to grab a consolation goal

Eighth-placed Halifax host third-placed Kingston Upon Hull next.

Reports from Halifax’s other teams in Friday’s ‘Courier’