Match Report: Swindon Wildcats 9 - Haringey Racers 7

A hat-trick for Adam Finlinson, plus two goals from EPL veteran Ryan Aldridge helped Swindon seal their place in the cup finals weekend, possibly at the Racers expense. Haringey will now be waiting on the result of the Slough vs. Bristol game on 20th February where a win for the latter will deny Racers a semi-final place.

This was a relentless game with waves of end-to-end attacking play; however both sides will want several goals back as defensive lapses and failures to clear the zone helped keep the scoring rate high throughout. Racers took the lead on five separate occasions only to be pegged back each time. Swindon finally took the lead for the first time at 52:40 and they were able to see the game out.

Haringey edged a relatively calm first period. In the middle of the session, two goals 30 seconds apart from Josh Abbott and Perry Richardson gave Racers the initiative. A Shannon Taylor power-play goal late in the period got Swindon up and running and they went on to equalise early in the second though Ben Nethersell. 

Goals from James Buckingham and Matt Brown opened up a 4-2 lead for Haringey, but a crazy three minute spell at the end of the period changed the game. Goals from Kyle Smith and Finlinson tied the game up and no sooner had Drew Campbell restored the Racers’ lead when Aldridge scored on power-play to send the teams in tied at 5-5.

Campbell and Aldridge trade goals again at the start of the third period. Josh Ealey-Newman gave Haringey the lead for the seventh time only for Wildcats to equalise with a slick goal from Finlinson, set up by Aldridge and Nethersell. Swindon took the lead when Lee Mercer mis-controlled the puck into his own net and put the game to bed with a Daniel Williams goal in the closing moments.

Racers return to league action on February 6th when they travel to Peterborough Islanders (5pm)

Wildcats Scoring: Adam Finlinson 3+3, Ryan Aldridge 2+2, Ben Nethersell 1+4, Kyle Smith 1+1, Shannon Taylor 1+0, Daniel Williams 1+0, Jordan Kelsall 0+5, Istvan Dragomir 0+1

Racers Scoring: Drew Campbell 2+1, Matt Brown 1+2, Josh Abbott 1+1, James Buckingham 1+1, Perry Richardson 1+0, Josh Ealey-Newman 1+0, Dan Clayton 0+3, Ben Osborne 0+2, Lee Mercer 0+1, Ryan Payne 0+1

Shots on Goal: 44 on Liam Mcguire (Wildcats), 53 on Niks Trapans (Racers)

Man of the Match: Adam Finlinson (Wildcats), Drew Campbell (Racers)

Photo by Carol Light - Richjoda Photography