Telfod Tigers back up to second

The Tigers moved back up to second on the league standings as a result – above the Steeldogs on goal difference and six points behind the table-topping Swindon Wildcats.

Sheffield may have only been able to ice 10 players due to a combination of illness and injury, but head coach Tom Watkins was still pleased to get the job done at Telford Ice Rink.

He said: “It’s difficult to sum up the game, but most importantly we won the fixture.

“Sheffield obviously travelled with low numbers but made a game of it for 60 minutes and credit to them, they didn’t quit and competed hard all night.

“We didn’t take the game away from them the way I think we should have which was frustrating and we were guilty of not playing quickly enough.

“I would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all our fans, sponsors, volunteers and everyone involved in the club.”

Recent games had seen the Tigers’ squad decimated by injury and unavailability of players so the return to the line up of the Tigers’ Great Britain Under-20 players – Jack Hopkins, Sam Watkins and Fin Howells – was a welcome addition, as was the return of Ross Connolly from injury.

The team were still without Ricky Plant and Jack Watkins through injury and Andy McKinney was still serving a suspension.

Tigers dominated the first period and were ahead early in the game.

Scott McKenzie and Hopkins combined to allow Vladimir Luka a tap-in past Dimitri Zimozdra in the Sheffield goal.

Luka went close within a minute of the opening goal, with Zimozdra making a terrific save from point-blank range, but his wait for a second goal wasn’t long.

Hopkins and McKenzie combined again to find Luka unmarked in the slot and the Czech forward lifted the puck high over Zimozdra’s glove and into the net.

A third goal followed shortly after with Hopkins finding Luka in front of goal again. Zimozdra saved the initial shot, but the puck broke to McKenzie, who slammed it home.

Tigers started the second period in sluggish fashion and conceded a disappointing goal.

The fluidity of passing that was evident in the first period was missing for much of the second period, but a fortuitous bounce allowed Tigers to re-establish their three-goal advantage.

A harmless, lofted pass was heading into the corner of the Sheffield defensive zone but a Steeldogs defender tried to glove the puck and ended up knocking it perfectly into the path of McKenzie, who controlled and sent it low past Zimozdra for his second goal of the game.

Early in the third period, Tigers’ Joe Aston hit the crossbar and Luka went close to getting his hat-trick on a number of occasions.

Tigers scored their fifth goal of the night when a shot from the blue line by Corey Goodison was tipped into the net by Jason Silverthorn giving Zimozdra no chance to make the save.

Sheffield hit back with a goal of their own shortly after, but Tigers would have the final say on the scoresheet with a goal in the last minute of the game.

Austin Mitchell-King forced a scramble in front of Zimozdra, and Silverthorn was able to poke the puck home for his second of the game to seal a victory that sent Telford above their visitors into second.