The special Remembrance shirts were sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA (Photo by Dragons IHC)
Saturday 8th November 2025
– NIHL Moralee Division: Blackburn Hawks 8 – Deeside
D1 Dragons 4
Sunday 9th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 3 – Blackburn Hawks 2
The Deeside Dragons had another mixed weekend, losing 8-4 away to Blackburn Hawks on Saturday and
then beating the same opposition 3-2 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.
The Hawks have an especially strong squad this season - with a number of
former National Division players in their ranks and also former Dragons and
Widnes import Jakub Hajek - and are likely to be in the mix for the league
title come the end of the season.
In the away game on Saturday, Blackburn opened the scoring after just 2
minutes but Colin Cromie equalised for Deeside on 8 minutes with a powerplay
goal punishing a Hawks slashing call. The hosts edged ahead again but a Dan
Fadejevs goal on 15 minutes ensured that the teams went into the first period
break level at 2-2.
Deeside actually took the lead with a Ross Kennedy goal on 25 minutes
but two quick goals from Blackburn within 90 seconds of each other turned that
on its head. Another Dragons strike, however
– from Cromie just 11 seconds later - restored parity and the game rested on a
knife edge at 4-4 at the midway point.
Blackburn scored again to retake the lead on 35 minutes but, at 5-4 with
one period left, it was still anybody’s game.
Unfortunately, everything went wrong for the Dragons in the third
period. Although they had their chances, they weren’t able to convert any of
them into goals and Hawks unanswered strikes on 48, 53 and 56 minutes saw the
home side cruise to victory.
The return game on Sunday was another evenly-balanced affair, littered
with niggly penalties and skirmishes befitting a north west derby encounter.
Deeside took an early lead with a goal from Matty Barlow after just 3
minutes and the score remained 1-0 at the first period break.
The second period was similarly close and the only goal came from Ross
Kennedy on 30 minutes, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead at the second interval.
A third Deeside goal from Jake Witkowski 3 minutes into the third period
looked as it might have settled the game in favour of the Dragons but Blackburn
staged a late fightback.
They finally broke their duck for the game with a goal on 54 minutes and
then scored a second just 80 seconds later to set up a nail-biting finale.
Luckily, their momentum was broken when former Deeside favourite turned Hawk
Andy McKinney picked up a 5 minute major boarding penalty, meaning that Blackburn
would have to play the remainder of the game a man short.
The Dragons shut up shop and held on to record an important victory.
As it was Remembrance Sunday, the Dragons players wore
special themed shirts – sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA - in
honour of the fallen in conflicts past and present.
The shirts were all raffled off after the game, with a donation from the proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.
After the weekend’s matches, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 26 points from their 14 games to date – four points behind Blackburn, who have 30 points from 12 games.
Solihull Barons remain top of the table with 34 points from 12 games.
The D1 Dragons are away to the Moralee Division’s bottom club, Sheffield Scimitars, this Saturday 15th November and then away to current league leaders Solihull Barons on Sunday 23rd November. They are next at home on Sunday 30th November when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15 pm.
