April 23rd & 24th 2016
U7s played their last games of the season against Pannal Ash, winning two, drawing one and losing the other. All the kids played very well. U8s played in a gala and endured a very frustrating morning. The format consisted of 5 minute matches played on a tiny pitch. The lads did well but should have done so much better. Team A in their first match peppered the Wetherby goal for the whole game. Wetherby touched the ball about three times, one of which was a goal, so we lost the first game. We won the others, then due to the rules not allowing subs, we had to drop two key players for the last match, which we lost, so went out. Team B won three, drew two and didn't concede a single goal today but still went out. They even beat Wetherby's first team, who went on to win the competition. U9s were terrific in an end of season tournament at Wetherby. The A team played 5 matches and didn't concede a single goal. They managed a thumping win and 4 draws. Disappointingly, this wasn't sufficient to progress to the semi finals which was a real shame as I'm convinced we were the best team in the group. The B team exceeded all expectations by winning the group and getting to the semi finals. The match was level at full time so we went to penalties. Despite our keeper pulling off a world class save with his face (he still has Mitre imprinted on his cheek) we didn't win and just missed out. All in all it shows how far we have come in a year as the same players struggled to compete in last season's tournament.
U12s ended their losing run with an enjoyable and hard fought 2-2 draw with a good Wigton Moor side (to whom we lost 5-1 only a few weeks ago). And we nearly nicked it with the last kick of the game too. Looks like it's all coming together just as the season ends. U13s Girls Kites drew 2-2 with Rawcliffe in the league. We were 2-0 up at one point and it just shows the girls confidence now in that they were disappointed with a draw. U13s lost 5-0 away at Pannal Sports. Against a team that hasn't lost a league game in 2 seasons we decided to give them a 4 goal start before we started playing after 15 minutes of the game. We matched them in the rest of the game although we were not massively threatening up front.
U16s completed their league season with an 8-0 victory against bottom of the table Harrogate Railway Locos. KDR opened the scoring after only 2 minutes when a perfectly flighted corner by Ryan Castelow was headed home by Rowan Bentley. Shortly afterwards, Kyle Mackinnon was very unlucky to see his shot hit the post and rebound along the goal line to safety. After a number of other missed chances, Deighton's second goal came when James O'Sullivan's shot hit the post and Greg Moodie scored from the rebound. Greg then scored again with a header from Ryan's corner. On the stroke of half-time, James fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area into the roof of the net.
The score stayed at 4-0 until after 17 minutes of the second half, Rowan volleyed a pass through the Railway defence and Josh Quinn finished with composure. Following this, Callum Unsworth scored from Josh's neat pass into the box. Callum then provided assists for the final two goals - a corner floated to the far post for Kyle to score with a header and a cross across the box which Ryan finshed with a powerful shot across the Railway 'keeper. Man of the Match was Ryan Castelow with runner up being Henry Beanland.
April 16th & 17th 2016
U8s played Harrogate Railway on a glorious afternoon at Grange Park. The lads started slowly but were great overall., finishing with 3 wins and a draw. U9s played away at Pannal Ash, drawing 2 and losing 2. We played well but keep giving away soft goals which is becoming a trend in recent weeks. We were missing a couple of quality players which always makes a difference. U10s Girls played in the Scotton Gala, and they were great! Three wins (against Harrogate Railway and Tockwith, neither of whom have been beaten all season, and against Scotton Scorchers) and a draw against Pannal Ash. The draw came after the break when the girls took advantage of the free cake and biscuits. Within 5 mins they were 3-0 down but they came back strongly to level the game.
U12s lost 3-0 to Pannal Sports in a closer game than the score line suggests. We were holding our own at 0-0 until a defensive error cost us a goal. We had our chances but we creep closer to a win and the effort from the boys is clearly there. We lost 11-3 to the same opponents earlier in the season so this clearly signals an improvement.
U16s didn't have their scoring boots on and lost 1-3 at home against unbeaten (with a 100% record so far this season) Kirkstall Crusaders. Kirkstall opened the scoring after only 4 minutes following a quick break and with the KDR defence unable to clear a bouncing ball, stand-in goalie Rowan Bentley was left with no chance from a one on one. But Deighton battled back and were unfortunate when a rising shot from James O'Sullivan seemed destined for the top corner of the Kirkstall net only for the goalie to tip the ball round the post.
KDR got their deserved equaliser in the 28th minute when neat passing between Josh Quinn and Kyle Mackinnon saw Josh released and from the edge of the box, he curled a powerful shot high into the net on the goalie's near side. Shortly afterwards, Tom Pearson put a perfectly flighted free kick into the box for Alex Diggle to head goalbound only to see the keeper palm the ball onto the far post - then with Josh Quinn following up, a goal seemed certain until the keeper somehow blocked the shot.In almost a repeat of that effort, another Tom Pearson free kick found it's way to Sam Monaghan but he could only head straight at the Kirkstall goalie.
After the half time break, Kirkstall had more of the possession and scored early in the second half when a failure by Deighton to clear the ball on the right of the penalty area allowed the Kirkstall forward into the box to score. KDR again responded well and a shot from Josh Quinn was palmed out by the keeper but James O'Sullivan was unlucky to see his shot from the rebound go wide. Deighton went close yet again when Sam Monaghan latched onto a through ball only to see his curling shot hit the far post and go behind for a goal kick. With KDR pressing for the equaliser, KIrkstall scored the final goal of the match with a long range shot into the top corner of the Deighton net. Man of the Match went to Greg Moodie with runner up being stand-in goalie Rowan Bentley.
April 9th & 10th 2016
U9s drew three games and narrowly lost one against Ilkley at a sunny Grange Park. Both sides were well matched and either team might have come out on top. U10s won one and lost one away at Boroughbridge, who are probably the strongest team in the league. An interesting day for the U11s who played 7 a side football away at Beckwithshaw on the Rossett 3G 5 a side pitches. Unfortunately we lost all four games.
U12s lost 10-2 at home to an extremely talented Horsforth side who maintained their unbeaten run for the season. We had some good moments but made too many errors against a side some level up from us. A great result for the U13s Girls who won their Cup semi-final against a good Rawcliffe team who have previously beaten us twice this season. U13s lost 3-2 at home to Pannal Sports Lions in a classic top of the table battle. The game could have gone either way but despite playing well it wasn't our day. U15s dominated possession and territory away against Ilkley Juniors B but could only manage a 3-0 win; probably a consequence of a four week gap since our last competitive match.
April 2nd & 3rd 2016
U7s won all four games against Beckwithshaw. U9s played away at Wigton Moor away and managed 2 wins, a draw and a defeat. Bearing in mind we haven't had many games recently they all put in a real shift and scored lots of very good goals. It's worth mentioning that one player scored all 6 goals in a game! U10s Girls played a couple of friendlies against Wetherby. A drawn game in which we played really well and should have won was followed by a convincing win. U12s lost 3-1 away to a strong Harrogate Railway but gave a pleasing performance with many positives.
March 19th & 20th 2016
U7s played against Collingham, winning two games and losing one. We scored some excellent goals and played well in all three matches. U10s played New Park Bulldogs. We only had 7 players so it was hard work. The boys played brilliantly and pulled off 2 wins, some really good team football and some cracking goals. U11s Girls won against Goole Town in a very competitive league match. The girls played very well and scored the winner with 3 minutes to go. A much changed team then played in the friendly and drew but we created lots of chances. In both games the girls took lots of shots, which was pleasing as they had been shot shy in previous matches. On Saturday U11s played a 9 a side friendly against a Martin House League development team. It was a comfortable win and a good display given that some of the players were competing in this format for the first or second time. Sunday saw us return to the regular 7 a side league format. We recorded two wins, a draw and a defeat against a fast Ilkley side.
U12s lost 6-3 to Harrogate Railway in a refreshingly spirited performance. At one stage we were 4-1 down, clawed it back to 4-3 but then conceded two very soft goals. We also fielded a stand in keeper, so certainly an improvement on recent outings. U13s lost 1-3 at home to Harrogate Railway, one of our promotion rivals. We were far too open and conceded a goal from their goal kick - a pass back to the keeper was charged down by their striker. At the other end we had shots cleared off the line, hit the woodwork and missed when it looked easier to score. U16s went out of the Maddison Cup at the semi-final stage but played well against a strong Harrogate Railway team who sit top of the Garforth U16s League. Playing up the slope in the first half, Deighton played well but conceded two similar goals from through balls that Railway strikers were able to clip over the KDR keeper. Thereafter, Deighton held on until the very last minute of the 40 when Railway scored from the penalty spot after a coming together in the area. However, in the second half KDR got the goal they deserved when a perfectly flighted free kick from the half way line by Sam Monaghan was knocked on by Alex Diggle for James O'Sullivan to score from close range. Railway scored the final goal of the game following a break down the Deighton left. A 1-4 defeat but a very creditable performance. U17s won 3-0 away at Ilkley Pumas on a poor pitch against weak opposition.
March 12th & 13th 2016
U8s won all four matches matches against Clifford Rangers at a gloriously sunny Grange Park. U13s won 2-1 away at Wigton Moor. A very frustrating game as the opposition didn't have a single shot on target; their goal was a comedy own goal. If we had our shooting boots on we would have scored a hatful. U14s played their last game of the season and beat Yorkshire Amateurs 6-0 to guarantee promotion to League A. Had we lost today, it is likely the team we beat would have been promoted, so quite a match and quite a day. The boys are elated.
February 27th & 28th 2016
U8s won two and drew two matches against Pannal Ash at a gloriously sunny Grange Park. U9s were away at Knaresbrough Celtic. This was our first game in a long time and it showed. We should have won the first game but it finished level and we lost the other three matches. With the ball the lads looked good and played the passing game, but without the ball we didn't defend well and conceded some soft goals. U11s Girls Dragons lost to a very strong and physically bigger Stamford Bridge side. We went behind to a harsh penalty and quickly conceded another but our girls fought back. They worked really hard for each other once again. Great team spirit. U11s played Wigton Moor, who were arguably the best team in the league last season playing fast, skillful attacking football. In the autumn of 2014 we were trounced in all four matches. This time round we recorded a win, a draw and two defeats, despite missing a couple of players and suffering three bad injuries during play. Pleasing to see the progress we have made against a very strong side.
U13s Girls Kites scored away at the runaway league leaders York RI, only the third team to do so this season, but were comprehensively beaten 7-1. U13s played their first 11 a side match, in a friendly against Killinghall. We were 3-0 down with 15 minutes left but managed to pull it back to 3-3 and still have enough time to hit the bar chasing the winner. U14s lost for the second weekend running, 3-2 away at Yorkshire Amateurs, despite being the better team and failing to convert a hatful of chances. The team remains top of the table. U15s opponents Lawnswood cancelled at the 11th hour, unable to raise a team. As a result we were awarded a walkover victory and move up to second in the table. U16s lost 6-0 away at Kirkstall Crusaders who maintained their 100% record this season. KDR conceded in the 2nd minute but then managed to contain Kirkstall for the rest of the first half - albeit playing down the slope. But we conceded early again in the second half and then were mainly on the defensive thereafter.
February 20th & 21st 2016
U10s played a friendly match against a good team from Haxby. A combination of really good football, lots of examples of what we had been doing in training and a big heap of luck saw us come away with a draw, a win and a happy group of boys. U11s had another great weekend, recording four wins out of four games away at Boroughbridge, a team who on their day have matched us previously. Some of the lads were tested in their less able positions and the only goal conceded was a dubious penalty.
U16s progressed to the semi-finals of the Maddison Cup with a 2-1 win against Pannal Sports at Grange Park. KDR lost the toss and hence had to play into a strong headwind for the first half but in spite of this, opened the scoring after 18 minutes when Miles Lowson found Ryan Castelow on the left wing and the Pannal keeper could only palm the shot out to Josh Quinn who scored from close range. The same combination of Miles and Ryan linked well shortly afterwards with a shot from Ryan across the keeper going narrowly wide of the far post. After 35 minutes, a rapid break by KDR saw Josh play the ball through to Ryan who hit the top of the bar with his shot.
With the wind behind them in the second half, Deighton often made good progress down the wings including a cross from Josh that almost went directly in, forcing the Pannal goalie to make a rushed clearance for a corner. Midway through the half after a neat interchange of passes, Daniel Hodkinson scored with a powerful low shot from the edge of the area to give KDR a 2-0 lead. Deighton generally seemed in control of the match until the last 15 minutes when a change to a defensive three by Pannal gave them the initiative and it came as no surprise when Pannal pulled a goal back. The match ended with some frantic defending by KDR including a last minute save from goalie Saul Guilford who tipped a goal bound attempt onto the post for Alex Diggle to clear away. Man of the match was Alex Diggle with runner up Saul Guilford and honourable mention to Dan Hodkinson.
February 13th & 14th 2016
U16s won a pulsating match 2-1 away at Otley. KDR got off to the worst possible start as straight from the kick off, a through ball from the Otley midfield split the Deighton defence and keeper Ryan Castelow had no chance as Otley went 1-0 up. The game had chances at both ends and KDR almost equalised after 10 minutes, when a shot from James O'Sullivan came back off the post and Josh Quinn followed up only to see the Otley goalie save his strike. Josh was then involved in a neat combination of passes with Greg Moodie but fired over when put through. At the end of the half, Otley missed a great chance to increase their lead when after hitting the Deighton post, the Otley forward blazed the rebound well over the bar.
KDR equalised early in the second half as Greg played a ball out to the left wing for Kyle Mackinnon to put a low cross into the 6 yard box which the Otley centre half could only bundle into his own net. Shortly afterwards, Greg fired in a seemingly goal bound shot from the edge of the area only to see the Otley keeper pull off a world class flying save to push the ball around the post. With the match increasingly end to end, Deighton took the lead with 3 minutes remaining when James passed to Jordan Nugent who put in a great cross that the Otley keeper could only palm out to Sam Monaghan who showed great composure to round a defender before firing the ball home.
Otley were very fortunate to keep 11 players on the pitch when Josh Quinnn was hacked down after getting free from a defender on the right wing. The resultant free kick for KDR came to nothing but as the ball went back up the pitch it bobbled through the Deighton defence and as it looked certain that a goal bound shot from Otley would equalise, Miles Lowson was just able at full stretch to deflect the ball onto the post with Rowan Bentley clearing away the rebound.
February 6th & 7th 2016
U11s Girls Dragons had a fantastic win against Brayton Belles from Selby. They played magnificently as a team against very good opposition. U11s played at home against Killinghall Nomads who were fairly strong last year. We recorded 3 wins and a draw. Three players got hat tricks. The wind was a nightmare though.
Many congratulations to our U13s Girls for their first ever league victory. After many months of near misses and 'what could have beens' the girls were all magnificent in their 2-1 victory away at Bishopthorpe White Rose. Having been beaten twice already this season by their opponents the girls were determined, measured and with no little skill came back from a goal down to turn it around. Jenny-May Moxon scored both goals and was player of the match. Captain Jess Flynn was exceptional again, Poppy Ribbons was outstanding in defence and Isobel Laurie was on fire with her tackling. Vicky Hudson, Beth Horsfall and Jess Tully were at their determined best working the wings and not allowing the opposition time on the ball and with Evie Trapps continuing her development into a great goalkeeper they all worked together to propel the team to this maiden victory. Well done to all the girls and to coaches Rachel and Carl for a well deserved win. U15s beat Ripon 5-2. We squandered so many chances, the scoreline could have/should have been double. U17s beat Thackley 4-3 in a reversed fixture at Grange Park. A great performance and deserved win against top of the league Thackley who previously hadn't lost a game all season.
U16s won 5-0 against Nidd Utd. Nidd actually started the brighter of the teams and Deighton had to defend a number of early corners before Ryan Castelow broke with pace down the left wing, crossed into the Nidd penalty area and after a neat interchange of passes by KDR players, James O'Sullivan shot to score the opener. Sam Monaghan was unfortunate to see his snap shot come back off the post into the goalie's hands but shortly before half time, a well placed through ball by James found Josh Quinn who neatly clipped the ball into the corner of the goal. This was followed by another goal shortly after the start of the second half when Greg Moddie picked up the ball outside the Nidd box and fired a powerful shot over the goalie into the top of the net. Fifteen minutes later, a pass from Jordan Nugent into the box found Sam who was tripped by a Nidd defender - Sam picked himself up to score from the resultant penalty. The last goal of the match came from an assist by Jordan which found substitute Alex Diggle who shot low across the keeper into the net.
January 30th & 31st 2016
U8s played for the first time this year away at Knaresborough Celtic. The lads did really well; they have been desperate to play and it showed, with four good wins out of four games. In the first league match since mid December for the U12s we lost 3-2 in a close game at Pool. We gifted our opponents a 3 goal start but battled back well and if we had a bit more time might well have forced an equaliser. U13s won 5-3 at home against Ripon. In a scrappy game the victory was only sealed by a goal with the last kick of the game. All 3 goals conceded were a result of poor defending. U14s beat Wetherby for the 2nd time in 2 weeks, and by the same score, 3-0. We are top of the table at moment, but teams below us have games in hand. U15s beat Lawnswood 15-0. A good confidence boost for the boys.
A damp morning at Grange Park brought the return match for KDR U16s against league leaders Garforth. The last time these two met, Garforth came out on top 2-0. The pre match talk was "Only two goals last time boys, do what you have been doing in practice, pass with confidence and shoot whenever you get a chance". KDR were dominant from the off, keeping a surprised Garforth pegged back - occasionally they broke into the KDR half only for their attempts to be snuffed out by a confident and strong centre-back pairing. Surely one of our shots would go in, "how long left ref?" only one minute in the first half and then it happened , a long ball from Alex Diggle found Ryan Castelow who slid the ball across the Garforth goalie : 1-0 and the KDR boys had their mojo.
Half time talk was "Great teamwork, great passing , confident play, just keep it up." And so it was in the 2nd half, Josh Quinn scoring the next with a low shot to the near post - followed by a Sam Monaghan penalty after Ryan had been tripped in the box. Then the goal of the match (or month?) as Josh controlled Sam's through ball and promptly fired a shot into the top corner. Next was James O'Sullivan who stole in behind the left back to score. Finally a neat short corner routine between Greg Moodie and Sam saw Sam's shot deflected back to Greg who drilled the ball home. Towards the end, sadly a spinning curling ball just got past the finger tips of Saul. 6-1. Great match marred by an injury to Luke Kilby that turned out to be a couple of broken toes after a fearless coming together. Man of the match was James O'Sullivan for an outstanding performance on the right wing, repeatedly winning the ball and crossing into the Garforth box.
January 23rd & 24th 2016
U11s Girls lost to Thirsk Falcons in a league match. The word 'rusty' would best describe the first 15 minutes when they found themselves well behind. Much better after that but Thirsk defended well. Really pleased how they adapted their style of play to counter a good team and they battled right to the end. U11s played Pannal Sports Tigers, winning three games and somehow managed to lose the one in which they had 80% of the possession. U15s won away at Ripon 4-3. We were always in front but found ourselves repeatedly pegged back until 10 minutes from the end.
U16s won 3-1 away against Ilkley Blues. Although Deighton had the majority of the early possession, it was Ilkley who took the lead when a well hit free kick flew into the bottom corner of the net leaving KDR goalie Saul Guilford with no chance to save. But within 10 minutes, Deighton were level when Josh Quinn cut in from the right wing and hit a perfectly placed left foot shot from 25 yards into the top of the Ilkley goal. KDR began the second half brightly and took the lead when James O'Sullivan beat two Ilkley defenders on the wing and fired a cross into the 6 yard box which an unfortunate Ilkley defender could only deflect into his own net. Shortly afterwards Tom Pearson picked the ball up in midfield, dribbled to the edge of the Ilkley penalty area and scored with a powerful shot. Deighton couldn't convert other chances to score, most noticeably when Luke Kilby unleashed a long range half volley which flew just past the top corner of the Ilkley goal. Man of the match went to Tom Pearson with the runner up being Alex Diggle.
January 9th & 10th 2016
U13s Girls Kites lost to league leaders York RI but the girls improvement from their first meeting on day 1 of the season was phenomenal, lots of praise from the opposition coaches for distance travelled since September. U16s won 8-0 at home against Harrogate Railway Locos. Deighton started slowly and goals from Ryan Castelow and Luke Kilby were only as a result of some unlucky defending by Railway. Thereafter, with Miles Lowson and Kyle Mackinnon often combining well down the left wing, two more goals were scored by Tom Pearson to give KDR a 4-0 lead at half time. After coming on from the bench, Sam Monaghan made a big impact with a second half hat trick including a perfectly placed long range curling shot that went in off the post. Tom Pearson scored from a corner to complete his hat trick. Man of the Match was Sam Monaghan with runner up being Kyle Mackinnon.
December 5th and 6th 2015
U16s won 11-2 away at Leeds Maccabi. KDR started well and were 3-0 up after only twelve minutes. Miles Lowson scored the first with a close range header from a Luke Kilby corner, Tom Pearson got the second with an accurate shot into the bottom corner of the Maccabi net and Alex Diggle scored the third with a neat turn on the edge of the area followed by a shot inside the post. James O'Sullivan then added another two goals before half time, a header from a Tom Pearson free kick and a shot from distance.In the second half, Josh Quinn ran onto a through ball to round the keeper and score and then shortly afterwards, Josh crossed for Ryan Castelow to add another. A neat passing move between Kyle Mackinnon and Rowan Bentley set Ryan up for his second before James completed his hat trick with the best goal of the match, a powerful shot from outside the area which flew into the top corner. Daniel Hodkinson and Toby Giddings then completed the scoring for Deighton. An experimental change in the KDR defensive formation resulted in Maccabi getting the final two goals of the match.Man of the match was Tom Pearson with runner up being James O'Sullivan - mention in dispatches to Luke Kilby for a series of accurate corners.
November 21st and 22nd 2015
U9s came agonisingly close to an undefeated weekend, with 3 wins and a very close defeat. It was very pleasing to see both mixed ability teams working well. U13s drew 3-3 away at Leeds City. We went 2-0 down, a little unfortunately as one goal came directly after a slip from a defender. Got it back to 2-2 at half-time and took the lead early in the second half but couldn't hold on for the win. U14s development team dominated Beckwithshaw on Saturday winning 4-1, though the result underplays how much on top we were. On Sunday we played an unbeaten Wigton side at Grange Park. At the start of the weekend five teams were level on points at the top of the league. The visitors went up 2-0 against the run of play, but we came back and ended up winning 6-3, with probably our best performance for two seasons. U15s beat Wigton Moor 2-1 in a tight match at Grange Park. We trailed 1-0 for 60 minutes but the boys finished strongly and deserved the win. U17s lost 6-1 to league leaders Thackley. The lads battled really hard and were the better team in the second half against a very good side. Thackley deserved the win but we hit the post twice, had one attempt cleared on the line and really should have had two penalties.
U16s beat Bedale Bees 8-1 away. After going a goal down in only the 3rd minute, Deighton were 3-1 ahead by half time thanks to a hat trick of powerful and accurate long range shots from Sam Monaghan. In the second half, Sam battled through the Bedale defence to set up Ryan Castelow to score. Two headed goals from KDR corners then followed - the first scored by Rowan Bentley from a Ryan Castelow corner and the second scored by Alex Diggle from a Luke Kilby corner. Having had two assists from Josh Quinn in the first half, Sam Monaghan then returned the favour by putting a long ball through to Josh who neatly rounded the keeper to score. Thomas Pearson completed the scoring for Deighton in the last minute with a perfectly placed free kick into the top corner of the Bedale net. Man of the match went to Sam Monaghan with runner up being Luke Kilby.
November 14th and 15th 2015
U11s Girls Dragons beat a good Tockwith team in their league match. Our younger girls enjoyed but lost the subsequent 10 minute friendly. U13s Girls Kites played lovely competitive football against a physical Copmanthorpe team but lost 4-1. We are still awaiting our first win but their passing football is very good to watch.
All other games this weekend were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
November 7th & 8th 2015
Congratulations to the U7s, who enjoyed their first friendly matches against Collingham at Grange Park on Saturday, winning 3 out of 4 games and scoring 11 goals. The U9s played away at Beckwithshaw Saints on astroturf. Some good results across the two mixed ability teams in both games, with 2 wins, a draw and a defeat. Had it not been for some soft goalkeeping coupled with two own goals we could well have avoided that single defeat.
U14s beat Bedale 3-2 at Grange Park to go joint top of the league (along with 4 other teams in a league of 7). The result was overshadowed by a broken arm for one of the boys, making it now 3 broken arms in the squad. U16s won 8-0 against Nidd Utd at Grange Park. Deighton were given the perfect start in only the 2nd minute by Miles Lowson who scored with an accurate lob of the keeper from a Toby Giddings throw in. Sam Monaghan was then influential in the next 4 goals before half time, scoring two and providing two assists with a long ball for Ryan Castelow and a well flighted corner for a powerful header by Alex Diggle. In the second half, Ryan scored again before his low cross forced an own goal from the Nidd keeper. Finally, Kyle Mackinnon's run into the box earned a penalty from which Alex Diggle scored. U17s won 5-3 away at local rivals Wetherby in a relatively uneventful derby, other than the 8 goals, a penalty save and a sending off for the opposition. The lads were superb again today.
October 24th & 25th 2015
U10s had a match against stronger opposition this week against Boroughbridge. A good performance resulted in a victory and a defeat. Our first loss of the season so not bad going. U13s won 2-1 at home against Leeds City. We didn't play particularly well, and the opposition were the better side but we ground out the result. We are now joint top of the league, although the other team has two games in hand. A much better performance than of late for the U15s but we still lost 4 –1 to Pannal Ash. A harsh result.
October 17th & 18th 2015
U8s played Wigton Moor at home, winning 3 games and losing 1. Delighted with them today, they worked really hard and were all on good form. U11s Girls lost for the first time in the league away at Wiggington Grasshoppers. It was the flattest performance of the season. The friendly team played really well but they too went down to a defeat. U11s played hard fought matches away at Wetherby. Squad rotation means we left a couple of key players out, and a head on collision left both teams a player down after just five minutes. We lost three and drew one.
U12s won 8-1 away at Wigton Moor. U13s won 4 - 0 away at Knaresborough Celtic. A very solid team performance and we could even get away with missing a penalty from our normally reliable top scorer. U14s beat Beckwithshaw 7-2 in a friendly match on Saturday, and strolled past Pannal Sports on Sunday. The score was 2-0 but we could have had five or six more if we understood the dimensions of the net. U15s lost to Wetherby for the second weekend running, going down 5 –1. U16s lost 5-2 away at top of the table Knaresborough but the match was much closer than the scoreline suggests; particularly as KDR were without both usual choices for goalkeeper. Deighton took the lead with a perfectly placed free kick from Tom Pearson only for Knaresborough to score the next three goals. KDR got one back on the stroke of half-time when Luke Kilby scored following a through ball from James O'Sullivan. In the second half Deighton had the majority of possession but just couldn't convert any of half a dozen clear scoring opportunities. Knaresborough scored twice from the few chances they had. Man of the Match was Dan Hodkinson with runner up being Tom Pearson. U17s drew 2-2 at home to Wetherby. Very proud of the lads today. In a feisty affair we were two down at half time but pulled it back in the second half. We created lots of chances and with better decision making in the final third should have won comfortably. The Wetherby keeper was probably their man of the match.
October 10th & 11th 2015
A good day for the U9s at home against our local rivals Wetherby. Our two sides were of mixed ability and both managed a win. The remaining games included a hard fought draw and a defeat. Overall it was great to see so many different players getting on the score sheet and both teams coming away with a win. Another solid performance from the U10s with two wins against Pannal Ash. Some really mature football played today from all the players.
U13s Girls Kites just keep getting better and better in their first league season. They were unlucky not to come away from Bishopthorpe White Rose with at least a point. Playing on a poor pitch KDR responded well to going a goal behind. Beth Horsfall equalised from a corner, which was quickly followed by a lovely solo goal from Jess Flynn, beating the keeper at the near post. Evie Trapps was sensational in goal making a number of great saves in an entertaining first half. Bishopthorpe equalised early in the second half as the game ebbed and flowed. Vicky made some good runs down the wing and battled back to help the defence as Bishopthorpe were more attacking in the second half but Poppy and Emma were resolute in defence. Then from a speculative long range Jess Flynn shot Jess Tully pounced when the goalkeeper spilt it. The goal was just reward for a determined strikers performance form Jess. Bishopthorpe equalised in the last 10 minutes when Evie was very unfortunate that she made a fantastic save from a rasping shot but the power in the shot carried it over the line. Then as the Kites tired Bishopthorpe scored twice in the last 4 minutes including a last minute penalty to snatch victory in a very absorbing and competitive game.
U12s played away against a very good Knaresborough side and lost 5-2 but the game was closer than score line suggests. A pleasing performance given a few players were poorly. U13s played Knaresborough Celtic at home and we won 7-2. A great performance especially in the first half where we turned around 5-0 up. It is a while since the U15s kicked off at 10:00 and it showed. 4-0 down after 20 mins but gradually we woke up to eventually lose 6–1 to Wetherby. U16s won 7-3 at home against Ilkley Blues. In an entertaining match, Ilkley took the lead after only 4 minutes with a header from a corner but Ryan Castelow soon equalised for KDR with a strong run and shot. The best goal of the match saw Deighton take the lead as Callum Unsworth played an accurate ball from defence to James O'Sullivan who showed great pace down the wing and passed to Josh Quinn who then played in Sam Monaghan to score and complete a fine flowing move. Two Ilkley corners produced two further goals and despite playing the better football, KDR were 2-3 down. However Deighton then dominated the second half with four more goals from Sam Monaghan and one from Tom Pearson to finish the match comfortably. Man of the Match went to Sam Monaghan with James O'Sullivan as runner up.
October 3rd & 4th 2015
U8s played in an Old Firm clash, away at Wetherby Tigers. 3 sides played fabulous football, with four wins and two draws. A good weekend for the U10s with 2 wins away at Kirkstall Crusaders. They were playing a weaker team but they put together some great football. U11s Girls continued their unbeaten start to the season with a draw against Thirsk Falcons.
U13s Girls scored their first league goal and were unlucky to lose 3-1 to Rawcliffe. The third goal came with the last kick of the game when the girls were pressing for an equaliser. U13s continued their fine inconsistent form. Rubbish last week, brilliant this week, winning 5-0 away at Ilkley. Two away matches, 2 wins and no goals conceded. Our home form on the other hand is shocking. U14s were totally outplayed by Wigton in the County Cup, losing 0-8.
September 26th & 27th 2015
U9s were away at Ripon City Panthers. We won a fantastic opening game in which we truly dominated possession and the final score could have been even higher. We then seemed to take our foot off the gas and lost the second game. Disappointingly, our weaker B team lost both games but put up a good fight and in all honesty the score lines didn't reflect the game play. Overall lots of good play but we missed a few of our stronger players who were unavailable. U11s played Pannal at home today. First try out for new player combinations for our two teams, more like an A and B team after 3 seasons of mixed teams. One team won both games, the other had 60% of the play, hit the posts several times, drew some excellent saves from their goalie but lost. We were without our second keeper this week though. Very pleased with the boys spirit today and there were some excellent team and individual goals scored.
Wearing their new kit (thanks Sant'Angelo), U11s Girls looked and played their part in a very enjoyable and successful away day. In an entertaining and even game which ebbed and flowed Scotton took the league but Francesca Moss levelled after a lovely through pass from Ciara Streatfield. Some great pressuring from Kate Purvis led to another opportunity for Francesca which she finished with great poise. Scotton hit back and the teams went in level at half time. The second half was very open as both teams went for the win. Lauren Dawson was exceptional again in defence and with Olivia Delaney and captain Isabelle Parkin they repelled Scotton attacks. Poppy Hall made some important saves when the scores were level but KDR Dragons had chances as well and Lucy Foster was unlucky as their keeper made a great save. Martha Rayner had another excellent box to box game making some timely tackles and some excellent attacking runs and KDR Dragons went ahead when player of the match Francesca scored her hat trick - proving to her manager why he was wrong to start her on the bench! Ursula Holland came on to provide stability to the midfield and the game was won when the Scottton goalkeeper couldn't hold Ciara's fierce shot. The friendly game was equally competitive. With 15 available players to choose from all the girls had an opportunity for game time. KDR Dragons narrowly lost the second match with Poppy Hall and Francesca scoring our goals.
U12s lost 11-3 at Pannal Sports. A slow start resulted in being 3 down in first 15 mins. We clawed it back to 3-2 before half time but then didn't push on. Too many players were expecting an easy game after the first two fixtures. A useful learning curve on a day bad for football. U13s Girls Kites were outstanding this week. Despite having to play 6 against 7 (plus 2 subs) for the entire match due to injury, they lost only due to numbers and fatigue but played out of their socks! U13s are currently consistently inconsistent. We played well last week so this week we played poorly. Playing Wigton Moor, a team we beat 7-1 last year, we didn't start and were 2 down in about 3 minutes. Got it back to 2-2 and then again conceded 2 goals before half time. In the second half every time we got a goal back we conceded almost straight away and lost 4-6. U14s played well but lost 2-1 at Bedale. Their manager conceded that we were the better team and he was right. Funny old game. U16s picked up their first 3 points of the season thanks to Leeds Maccabi cancelling at late notice so we were awarded a walkover win.
September 19th & 20th 2015
U8s started their season today at home against Ripon. We played 3 games initially, resulting in two KDR wins, and a Ripon win. The teams were then reshuffled to even things up. In the second round of matches we won the encounter between the two strongest sides. The lads were fantastic, they played with a lot of maturity covering for each other, when needing to go out of position. The other two games resulted in victories. To summarise: 5 wins and a loss, and a very happy coaching team. U10s recorded a brace of wins at home to New Park. It could have been a lot closer but with some brilliant goalkeeping and goalmouth recoveries we managed to keep two clean sheets. Good all round performances. U11s were away at Knaresborough Celtic. Excellent high tempo passing football from both teams, a joy to watch. Two wins, two defeats, but wonderful team spirit and really encouraging signs again from our lads.
A young U13s Girls team lost 11-0 at Copmanthorpe, but the result is very harsh as the game was much closer than the score suggests. U13s won 4-0 away at Ripon. A really good performance from the lads today. U16s played some bright and entertaining football but were somewhat unfortunate to lose 2-0 away at Garforth Rangers. Deighton had the majority of the possession in the first half but there were few clear chances for either team. The second half was more even as Garforth had the benefit playing down the slope - KDR conceded twice, the first when our goalie was impeded in a goalmouth scramble and the second when a shot flew into the bottom corner of the net. So a defeat but an improved peformance compared to last week - encouraging signs.
September 12th & 13th 2015
The U9s A side managed a draw and a narrow defeat against Pannal Sports. The B side lost both games but if it wasn't for some suspect defending it could have been very different as both teams were great going forward. A great start to the season from the U10s with a win over Kirkstall. 2 goals in the first few minutes and the best football they have played with mature passing and play. It could have been double figures if it wasn't for a storming game by the opposition keeper. We compete in the single squad league so we played a second friendly match to give some more boys a run. A well balanced game ended all square with some really good football played.
U11s Girls Dragons made history (or should that be herstory?) on Saturday when they became the first female KDR team to win a competitive league match, beating Poppleton Tigers with a very assured performance. Francesca Moss and Martha Rayner terrorised the Tigers' defence in a first half completely dominated by KDR. With a strong midfield of captain Isabelle Parkin playing a true box to box role and Ciara Streatfield and Lily Wenn ably assisting the attacking threat from the wings the team pressed forward and were rewarded when Francesca scored two first half goals. Martha scored a fantastic solo goal just after the restart and then the team showed their intelligence as they adapted to a stronger second half display from their opponents and defended in a calm, organised way. Lauren Dawson and Olivia Delaney, both playing their first ever game for the club, were magnificent but the whole team defended as a unit and protected goalkeeper Poppy Hall who was excellent in her distribution. The score did not flatter the U11 Dragons and it was a well deserved maiden victory. Player of the match: Lauren Dawson
U11s were away at Ripon, a team we should be competitive against. They have moved to an A and a B system, so for the first two matches of the season we're sticking to last year's mixed teams. Frustratingly we lost both games to the A team, although they were competitive matches. The B team was a reasonable side with a good keeper; we won both games with our first hat trick of the season. U12s debut match at 9 a side level produced a winning start with an outstanding 10-2 victory away at Ripon. 4 goals from Jake Parkin (captain and centre half!), 3 from star forward Quinn Garrity, a brace for dazzling winger Keenan Park with Joe Kusinski also joining in the scoring party. A real joy to watch today. U13s Girls started their league careers this weekend with a home game against York RI. Our opponents won the league and cup double for the last 3 seasons, have been playing together since they were 7, and are the best club in league by a country mile. They beat us 16-0, but split up that was 14-0 in the first half and 2-0 in the second, and our girls kept their heads up and attacked throughout the match. U13s were highly frustrating. Rather like Aston Villa at Leicester we were cruising 2-0 at half time and basically didn't turn up for the second half and lost 3-2. U15s played Knaresborough at Thistle Hill and in an entertaining game in the sun emerged victorious 4 –2. The game never quite got away from them. 2-0 to KDR, then 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and finally 4-2. Chances galore either end. Just our day.
U16s squandered a two goal lead to lose 3-5 at home to Knaresborough Celtic. Deighton started by far the brighter of the teams and scored twice in the first fifteen minutes - Dan Hodkinson with a powerful shot from 20 yards that flew in just under the crossbar and then Josh Quinn showed great control to receive an excellent long ball from Callum Unsworth and lob the Knaresborough keeper. KDR looked to have the game under control but three Knaresborough goals in quick succession just before half time turned the game around completely. Deighton got going again in the second half when Sam Monaghan equalised with a well taken penalty drilled into the roof of the net, but then Knaresborough again responded with two further goals to win the match. Man of the Match went to Sam Monaghan with runner up being Callum Unsworth.