Telford Tigers win a 12-6 goal-fest

The Tigers won a 12-6 goal-fest at Telford Ice Rink to retain their three-point advantage over Solway Sharks in the race for the final play-off spot in the NIHL National League.

Despite the big win, there was still plenty that Watkins was not happy about as he tries to lead Telford into the top eight.

“The two points secured is the most important thing for us," he said. "Our power play was strong and it was good to see us score three goals on the power play and we were 100 per cent on the penalty kill which hasn’t happened a lot this season.

"For the most part this season we haven’t struggled for offence, but our game management, puck management and defensive play makes it very hard.

"We had a lacklustre start and had an inability to defend one-on-one situations in the first period, followed by a lot of simple turnovers in the second period, which led to changes in possession, goals, breakaways and odd man rushes - which made it a very frustrating performance from my perspective.

"We constantly let teams hang around in games when it should be shut down, but we give up leads so easily, score one then concede one and give up some really soft goals against.

"At one point I could have benched about eight players and I had no idea who I could lean on to play responsibly.

"There is a right way to play, a way to be successful. Players have to get on board with that or they will be looking for the golf clubs in late March instead of playing play-off hockey.

"We require smarter players who make smarter plays consistently, players who make selfless plays and decisions that help the team to be successful.”

Playing their only game of the weekend, Tigers made a slow start and were caught out twice in the opening five minutes as Bayley Harewood and Rhys Smetham both scored for Bristol.

Telford were given a great chance to get back into the game with a five-on-three penalty, which they took full advantage of as Scott McKenzie found Fin Howells in space, allowing Howells to beat netminder Tommy Nappier.

But despite still having a man advantage after the first power play ended, Tigers conceded a short-handed goal. Harewood led a two-on-one breakaway and found Mitch Walinski, who scored.

Ten minutes into the game, Tigers pulled a goal back to make it 3-2 when Danny Rose sent a shot in from the blue line that beat a screened Nappier.

Telford did manage to pull level on another power play when McKenzie picked out an unmarked Eric Henderson, who then set up David Thomson to fire the hosts in front for the first time with a wrist shot that cannoned into the net off the crossbar.

In the opening minute of the second period, Tigers doubled their lead with a goal from Harry Ferguson and shortly after had a sixth - Louie Newell scoring with a low shot from the right circle into the bottom corner.

Bristol pulled one through Walinski, but Henderson scored his second goal of the game with a tap-in.

Walinski's hat-trick goal brought the deficit back to two again, but Telford then finally took the game away from the visitors as Thomson bagged his second, James Smith netted the Tigers' ninth and Henderson took them into double figures by completing his own hat-trick, weaving his way through the defence.

Walinski made it 10-6 with his fourth of the game, but Telford finished with two more goals of their own as Smith got his second of the night after good work by Byrne and Newell also finished the night with a brace, netting in the final 30 seconds of the match.