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| Oli Booth was the Ducks' MVP against Sutton (Photo by Maxine Roscoe) |
Saturday 1st February 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Ducks 1 – Sutton Sting 9
Sunday 2nd February 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Altrincham Aces 5 – Deeside Ducks 3
The Deeside Ducks had an eventful weekend, losing 1-9 at home
to league leaders Sutton Sting on Saturday and then having a much closer game, losing
5-3 away to Altrincham Aces on Sunday.
Sutton had won 20 of their 21 league games so far this season
and, while Deeside put in a good showing, they never really looked like beating
the title favourites. However, the game was very close in its earlier stages
and it took Sutton until a good 9 minutes in to open the scoring.
It was 0-2 at the first period break and, with only a single
goal scored in the second period and 0-3 at the second interval, leaving
Deeside still in with a chance.
Sutton pulled away in the third period, however, with 6 more
goals to lead 0-9 with 6 minutes left to play.
The Ducks continued to battle away and their perseverance
eventually paid off with a consolation goal from Charlie Nicholson – his first
senior goal - on 55 minutes, which also
saw off the unwanted spectre of a first ever home shut-out.
Despite the scoreline, Oli Booth – playing his first game for
the Ducks - put in a good performance in goal, keeping out 49 of the 58 shots
that he faced, and was named MVP for Deeside.
The away game at Altrincham on Sunday was a lot closer and Deeside
were very much in contention right up until the dying moments.
The
Ducks scored first with a goal from Rhys Howells on 4 minutes but the lead
didn’t last long as the Aces equalised just 68 seconds later. A Chris Jones
goal 76 seconds after that put the Ducks back in front but Altrincham fought
back to equalise again and two more goals late in the period saw them leading
4-2 at the first break.
The
second period was just as closely contested and remained goalless until Andrew
Chappell – making his first Ducks appearance - scored with just 34 seconds left
on the clock – to reduce the deficit to just one goal heading into the final 20
minutes.
Deeside weren’t able to build on this in the third period,
however, and an Aces strike with 7 minutes left to go rounded off the scoring
for the game.
The
game got tetchier as it went on and an eye-watering 92 penalty minutes were
handed out overall – 68 to Altrincham and 24 to Deeside.
The
closing minutes saw a lot of disruption and the match finished in disarray with
4 Altrincham players – including former Duck Alfie Kelly – receiving 10 minute
major penalties for misconduct and abusive behaviour, along with Deeside’s Rhys
Howells, to end the game on a sour note.
The Ducks have another home game this Saturday 8th
February when they take on Nottingham Lions for the first time this season at
Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.
