Deeside Dragons were the first team to win in the league at Blackburn this season (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography)
Sunday
15th February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Blackburn Hawks 3 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5
The Deeside D1 Dragons put in a gutsy performance
away to newly crowned league champions Blackburn Hawks and managed to spoil the
title winners’ home-coming party with a 3-5 victory away in East Lancashire on
Sunday.
The Hawks had secured the Moralee Division title
the night before with a 1-3 win away to Leeds Knights and were in a celebratory
mood - but Deeside are still in the running for second spot and need to make
the most of every game in the run-in.
Blackburn scored first after 6 minutes but Damarni
James equalised against his former club 4 minutes later to leave the score at
1-1 at the first period break.
Despite having had more of the play in the first
period, the Hawks got into penalty in the second and Deeside made the most of
their chances with goals from Jake Witkowksi, Rhys Edwards and Colin Cromie seeing
them take a 1-4 lead into the second interval
Blackburn pulled two goals back in the third period
to narrow the deficit to just one but Jake Witkowksi’s second strike of the
night on 56 minutes re-established daylight between the two teams and the
Dragons were able to hold on to celebrate a 3-5 victory.
The Hawks hadn’t lost at home in the league all
season so this Deeside win will have taken some of the shine off the Moralee
Division trophy presentation, which was held after the game.
