Former Dragons player Sam Krempasky scored a hat-trick against the Raiders (Photo by RDG Digital)
Sunday 3rd May 2026 - Challenge Match: Connah’s Quay Cobras 21
– Riverside Raiders 9
The
Connah’s Quay Cobras took part in a remarkable THIRTY goal thriller, beating
local rivals Riverside Raiders 21-9 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.
Games
between Deeside and Widnes based clubs are always keenly contested, passionate
affairs due to the relative proximity of the two venues and a regular migration
of players over the years in both directions, are rarely dull – and this was no
exception.
The
visiting Raiders were only able to muster a small squad for this game – 10
skaters and 1 netminder – as opposed to the Cobras’ 16+2 – so it was always
likely that Connah’s Quay would have the advantage.
It
actually took until the 12th minute for the Cobras to open the scoring
– with a goal from Slavomir Sykora – but, once they had made the initial
breakthrough, more goals quickly followed.
Former
Deeside Dragons league player Sam Krempasky scored the Cobras’ second goal just
21 seconds later and added a third 32 seconds after that. He rounded off a straight hat-trick on 17
minutes and a goal from Martin Stolicny saw Connah’s Quay leading 5-0 at the
first period break.
The
Raiders scored a goal of their own 28 seconds into the second period but a
flurry of goals for the Cobras – from Stolicny again, Karl Jones, Libor Krempasky,
player coach Emma Dutton and Mark Stringfellow within a 4 minute spell put the
game well beyond the reach of the Raiders.
The
visitors did manage two more goals in the second period but yet more strikes -
from former Raider Sam Plant (2), George Spofforth (2), Ellis Flanagan and a hat-trick
marker for Stolicny rounded off an incredible 14-goal period, leaving the score
standing at 16-3 at the second interval.
The
Raiders actually had the better of the third period by a narrow margin, scoring
6 goals to help make the score look a bit more respectable, but 5 more for the
Cobras – from former Deeside Duck Louis Ellwood, another former Raider Mike
Filek, Brad Bannon, a second for Dutton and a hat-trick goal for Sam Plant saw
the Cobras cruise to victory.
