Wednesday 15 October 2014

Laidler Match Report: Nottingham Lions 5 - Widnes Wild 4

For their second game of the weekend, Wild travelled to the National Ice Centre to take on the Nottingham Lions. Widnes were without Nicole Jackson, Bobby Caunce, Tom Ratcliffe and the injured Matt Wainwright. The team coach was late arriving at the rink.

The first period opened with a series of minor penalties with Widnes taking most of them. Nottingham were taking advantage of the extra numbers and they went 1 - 0 ahead at 11.32 with a tip in from the edge of the crease. As the period progressed, Wild came more into it as an attacking force with Brown, Pollitt, Dunford and Supa all causing problems. Rebounds off the Nottingham netminder were not put in the net.

Widnes came back into the game with an equaliser from close in by Lee Pollitt had broken away down the right at 24.51. Three almost identical goals took Nottingham well clear between the 29th and 32nd minutes. All three involved an unmarked man firing home from close range, when the puck came in from the corners. In the 34th minute an altercation behind the Widnes net saw Dan Bracegirdle and a Nottingham player battling on the boards. It followed a follow up slash on Greg Ruxton as he made a low save.

The final period saw a spirited comeback from the Wild . Shaun Dipnall found the net in the 43rd minute and as Widnes came back strongly Nottingham broke away to make it 5- 2. Chris Preston broke away on the right before firing home to make it 5 -3. In the final minute the outstanding Filip Supa made it 5-4 with a long range slap shot. This was a much improved performance from a Widnes side missing key players.

Report by Dick Gillingham

Photo by Geoff White - www.gw-white.co.uk