Telford Tigers breeze past Berkshire Bees despite selection issues

Tigers travelled to Berkshire without ill head coach Tom Watkins – who was recently added to the roster due to thinning ranks – one of eight players missing.

Ross Connolly, Ricky Plant and Jack Watkins are absent with injury, alongside Great Britain under-20 trio Fin Howells, Jack Hopkins and Sam Watkins.

There was also no place for forward favourite Andy McKinney, who will serve an eight-game ban for a check to the head in the defeat at Leeds the previous weekend.

But Telford rallied to show strength in numbers and recorded a commanding victory against the NIHL National League’s bottom side, responding from rare back-to-back defeats to begin their festive period in style.

Assistant coach Steve Molinuex said: “It was our last weekend game before the Christmas break and we had players missing, injured and away on international duty. We had our head coach not able to travel but still managed to get the win.”

“We had to dig deep and we went into the last period ahead, knowing we needed to take the two points after taking none last weekend.

“They pressed us hard but we held on and secured the win which we deserved.

“It gives us confidence for our midweek game against Sheffield and hopefully we will have more players available.”

Two points against basement boys Bees sees third-placed Tigers trail Sheffield Steeldogs, in second, by that same margin. Swindon Wildcats have powered into a six-point lead.

Telford welcome Sheffield to their home patch for a crunch clash on Wednesday evening.

It took until the third minute for Tigers to open the scoring in an otherwise open, end-to-end contest.

Captain Jason Silverthorn, back from injury and passed fit to play, lifted the puck expertly over prone netminder Adam Goss for 1-0.

But Bees struck back a minute later as a favourable bounce off the backboard allowed Dominik Gabaj to convert beyond Brad Day.

Bees had Niklas Ornmarker in the penalty box for tripping, which allowed Deakan Fielder to find Vladimir Luca from behind the goal to edge Tigers ahead again at the first break.

Luca doubled his tally and made it 3-1 to the visitors shortly into the second period. Scott McKenzie released Luca, who was too clever for Goss in goal, as the netminder fell for the forward’s feigned strike before being lobbed.

Tigers paid for a sloppy second period afterwards, however, as they allowed their struggling hosts a route back into the clash with two goals to pull level.

Ornmaker benefitted from a fortunate bounce to make it 3-2 before Ryan Webb’s effort flicked beyond Day off Corey Goodison.

The visitors responded though and ended period two back ahead, as Goodison’s effort from distance appeared to deflect in off Fielder, but was credited to Goodison.

Telford re-established their two-goal lead for 5-3 with 10 minutes left of the final period as Luca released Fielder to flick home, before McKenzie was allowed a free shot from his defensive zone with netminder Goss up as an extra attacker to seal a fine away win for Tigers.