Ross Kennedy scored 4 goals at Telford and was the Dragons' MVP (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)
Saturday
14th March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Telford Tigers 6- Deeside D1 Dragons 9
The Deeside D1 Dragons have secured the runners-up
position in the Moralee Division table after a hard fought 6-9 win away to
Telford Tigers on Saturday.
The result means that the Tigers would not be able
to accrue enough points from their remaining games to overtake the Dragons –
and Solihull Barons, who were the only other contenders for second place, also crashed
out of the race with a 3-5 defeat at home to Billingham Stars on Sunday.
Saturday’s game was a bad tempered affair, with a number
of niggly penalties and other various hold ups, played in a rather hostile
atmosphere at the Shropshire rink.
Telford opened the scoring in the second minute but
Ross Kennedy equalised for the Dragons in the third minute and then fired them
into the lead 60 seconds later. A third goal – from Deeside’s top scorer Jake
Witkowski - followed on 11 minutes and the Dragons took a 1-3 lead into the first
period break.
Deeside had the upper hand for much of the game and
out-shot their hosts by more than 2 to 1 in the first two periods.
Their pressure was rewarded with second period
goals from Rhys Edwards, Colin Cromie and Kennedy again, for his hat-trick – to
lead 1-6 at the midway point of the game.
Telford managed to pull a goal back but Ethan Mayoh
scored again for the Dragons on 32 minutes to give them a commanding 2-7 lead
at the second interval.
The Tigers fought back in the third period and
scored two goals early on to narrow the deficit to just 3 but two quick-fire
strikes - from Ross Kennedy and Colin Cromie - just 14 seconds apart on 52
minutes restored the 5-goal cushion.
Two more goals followed for Telford but it was too
late for them to mount any sort of serious fightback and Deeside held on to
record an important 6-9 victory.
Jake Witkowski - who is in with chance of breaking
the record total points in the NIHL Moralee Division for a single season - had
a hand in all 9 goals with one strike himself plus 8 assists. Ross Kennedy was named
Dragons’ MVP after his 4 goal haul.
The D1 Dragons round off their regular season
schedule with back to back matches against last season’s champions Billingham
Stars this weekend.
They are at home to the Stars on Saturday 21st
March at Deeside Leisure Centre – 5.15pm face off - and then play the return
fixture away in the north east on Sunday, 5.30pm start.
