Match Report: Sheffield Scimitars 4 - Deeside D1 Dragons 11 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Theo Malone scored his first senior hat-trick at Sheffield (Photo by Angel Devlin)

Saturday 31^st October – NIHL Moralee Division: Sheffield Scimitars 4 - Deeside D1 Dragons 11

The Deeside D1 Dragons returned to winning ways with a 4-11 victory away to Sheffield Scimitars on Saturday.

Deeside had lost their 4 previous games but this visit to bottom of the table Sheffield who had yet to win a game all season – always seemed likely to go the way of the Dragons.

Deeside were on top pretty much from the start and peppered the Sheffield goal with shots with 25 in the first period as opposed to just 5 on Ryan Wardell at the other end.

The pressure eventually paid off and Colin Cromie finally opened the scoring for the visitors on 11 minutes and James Parsons – a long-term Deeside favourite who now usually plays for the D2 team – doubled the lead two minutes later , and the score remained 0-2 at the first  period break.

Sheffield seemed to perk up in the second period and had much more of the play. Two quick goals of their own within 50 seconds of each other saw them draw level but Theo Malone edged the Dragons back in front with a strike on 25 minutes.

Sheffield equalised again and Malone scored again to keep Deeside in front, and the Dragons upped their game by another gear after this. Two goals followed from Jake Witkowksi and one each from Jared Dickinson and Noah Percival to open up a 3-8 lead heading into the second interval

A shorthanded goal from Ross Kennedy just 19 seconds into the third period further extended the Deeside lead and, while Sheffield pulled a goal back on 49 minutes, they never really looked like catching the Dragons.

Theo Malone scored his third goal of the game for his maiden senior hat-trick 52 seconds from the restart and Ethan Mayoh rounded off the scoring for the game on 55 minutes to secure a much needed 4-11 victory for Deeside.

 

The D1 Dragons are back in action again this Sunday 8^th November when they take on Nottingham Lions – who they have yet to play this season - at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside Dragons Women 17 – Whitley Bay Beacons 0 (WNIHL Division 2 North)

Eleanor Johnson scored her
first senior goal against Whitley
(Photo by Gary Johnson)

Saturday 31^st October – WNIHL Division 2 North: Deeside Dragons Women 17 – Whitley Bay Beacons 0

The Deeside Dragons women’s team remain top of the Division 2 North table following a 17-0 demolition of Whitley Bay Beacons at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

Eleanor Johnson opened the scoring for the Dragons Women in the second minute with her first ever league goal and Grace Taylor doubled the lead 66 seconds later.

Chloe Hellen added a third goal for the Dragons on 18 minutes and the score stood 3-0 at the first period break.

Deeside out-shot the Beacons by a whopping 90 to 8 over the course of the game and second period goals from sisters Teagan and Niamh Walsh extended the Deeside lead to 5-0 at the second interval.

After putting up a plucky defensive display in the first two periods, the Beacons obviously ran out of steam as the game went on and this Hallowe’en match turned into a complete horror show as they conceded 12 unanswered goals in the third period.

Dragons player coach Emma Dutton scored 5 of those goals, Niamh Walsh bagged a further brace to round off a hat-trick, Teagan Walsh, Chloe Hellen and Grace Taylor all added their second for the evening and Lana Botes and Evie Davies completed the rout.

Emma Dutton was the Dragons MVP against Whitley
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

Emma Dutton was named MVP for the Dragons Women after her 5-goal haul while over-worked netminder Lindsay Young got the award for Whitley after keeping out an impressive 73 shots of the 90 that she faced.

Chloe Smith had a relatively quiet night in the Deeside goal, keeping out all 8 shots that came her way to record her second shut-out of the season.  

The win sees the Deeside Women stay top of the league table with 10 points from 6 games, 3 points ahead of second place Leeds Thorns who lost at home to Kingston Diamonds at the weekend.

The Dragons Women are next in action this Sunday 8^th November when they travel away to face Nottingham Vipers at the National Ice Centre.

They then have 4 more away games before they are next at home - to Leeds Thorns on Saturday 6^th February.