ENL week 19 Round-up

LONDON, UK – With snow and ice bringing chaos to the UK, most ENL players and fans were simply pleased to have hockey games going ahead this weekend. Unfortunately two fixtures did get cancelled, namely Oxford v Invicta and Milton Keynes v Wightlink.
 

Thanks to pollution and combined body heat of a massive population, London was spared the worst of the snow meaning that training went ahead for Streatham Redskins as normal this week. Special mention to our Coach turned equipment manager Spoursy, who spent most of his week grinding the team’s skates in his garden shed. His face was a picture as the skates piled up in the locker room after training.
 
Alexandra Palace ice rink must have the most spectacular setting of any rink in the country, perched on a hill overlooking London. The winter weather closed the road up to the rink earlier in the week and the Greyhounds opted to cancel training. Unfortunately for Haringey, the road re opened in time, however they didn’t manage to get the ice slot back.
 
It wasn’t all bad news for the Greyhounds in the build up to Saturday’s London derby. On Friday they got a rare plug on Sky Sports during the televised Elite league game between Coventry and Belfast, from commentator Dave Simms. The controversial figure clearly had Roger Black’s former empire on his mind, when he asked London based viewers to head down to Alexandra Palace to watch the ‘Haringey Racers’ this weekend. Greyhounds owner Nick Rothwell will need to be a little clearer, next time he calls in a favour from his good friend Simmsy.  
 
It was my first time playing against the Greyhounds since I transferred to the Redskins, and it is always enjoyable playing against your own team, but only if you win.
 
Since the sides last met, both have strengthened their respective rosters. We now boast four solid lines, whereas the Greyhounds have added Andy Johnston and Brett Candon along with Norm Pinnington, although I understand Stormin Norman’s registration has not yet been submitted. Nick Rothwell is also rumoured to be lacing them up again in a bid to help his team.
 
The game was one sided, though not without incident. Louis Lockwood scored one of the best goals of the season, as his toe drag took him past two defenders and then he turned Haringey goalie Tipple inside out before scoring. Josh Allam and Haringey’s Liam Doyle were two unlikely opponents as they dropped gloves towards the end of the game, and it was the Streatham man who got the take down.
 
Perry Richardson enjoyed his return to the Palace as he bagged a hat trick against his old team, and couldn’t hide his delight in a series of over the top celebrations. I have to say the crazed manic laugh he let out as he glided with both arms aloft towards the Redskins fans, reminded me of the woeful TV show ‘Most Haunted’ with Derek Acorah. All it needed was the silver haired Scouser to run on to the ice and try and exorcise our hat trick hero, and the scene would have been complete. Has Cardiff’s Alan Armour started something with his fist pumping and Irish jig last week?
 
Will Sanderson earned a 38 shot shut out to round off a very satisfying night for us, and the noisy Redskins fans headed back to South London with smiles on their faces at the 8-0 thrashing. I can confirm that Haringey did provide Dominos pizza for both teams after the game, but I resisted despite being handed a Garlic and Herb dip by one of their supporters – after I mentioned it in last weeks round up!
 
Cardiff defied the appalling road conditions to play Wightlink on the Island on Saturday. Both sets of fans will be pleased the game went ahead as they were treated to a close game that could have gone either way. Wightlink Coach Jeremy Cornish used the team’s online forum to quash rumours of a move to Romford, and his team responded by giving their coach a good performance. Unfortunately they couldn’t manage a win though, as the visitors took the spoils 5-4, with Corey Watkins scoring the winner for the Devils five minutes from time.
 
A good win on the road for Cardiff but I think they are playing a risky game travelling to away games with a depleted squad, in comparison with home games, and this could see them come unstuck soon. As for Wightlink, they have signed Steve Slater who is a tough and talented player if a little unreliable at times. He played with me at Haringey last season, and whilst we could all see he was a good player, he struggled with form and commitment so hopefully a move back to his homeland on the Island will bring out the best in him again. How he got the wide boy London accent, despite growing up on the Isle of Wight is one of life’s great mysteries….
 
Milton Keynes Thunder made it back to back wins over rivals Peterborough Islanders, with a convincing 6-1 win on the road. New signing Tom Davis got on the score sheet for the visitors along with David Coffey, Keiron Goody and former Islander Jamie Holland. Leon Groom got the Islanders  consolation. MK are now level on points with Haringey, and on paper I think the Thunder currently have a slightly better squad. It sets up an exciting end to the season at the bottom of the table and I am just pleased the Redskins seem to be out of it.
On Sunday the Greyhounds were at home again, but this time they faced Chelmsford Chieftains. The Essex side had announced during the week that they had teamed up with wrestling promotion company LDN Wrestling, in a joint venture that would see mutual promotion of events. Rumours that Coach Dean Birrell was to wear a silk cape and matching mask on the bench at Ally Pally were sadly untrue.
 
If the plain clothed Coach disappointed travelling Chelmsford fans, they soon had plenty to smile about as their team stormed into an 8-0 lead after the first two periods. Goals came courtesy of Danny ‘The Hammer’ Hammond, Sean ‘Macho Man’ Easton, Ross ‘The Beast’ Brears, Blaho ‘The Slasher’ Novak, Rich ‘Boss Man’ Whiting, Jerry ‘The Berry’ Pavlus and Alex ‘The Hit Man’ Green. Sadly the game was then abandoned after a long delay, waiting for an ambulance to attend to injured Greyhounds goalie Laura Saunders (No it wasn’t a flying elbow drop from one of the Chieftains that injured her, before you ask). She was stretchered off but was released from hospital shortly afterwards which is great news. Hopefully she makes a speedy recovery from the soft tissue damage suffered.
We hosted the Islanders on Sunday down at the High Road rink and to be honest it wasn’t much of a spectacle. We won 10-3, but it was 9-1 after the second and we took our foot off the gas in the third. Peter Molnar was  in the mood for goals as he notched five and set up a couple of others. We also paraded another new signing in Remai Boprey. I hope I have spelt his name correctly, however most of you will recognise his surname, and he is indeed UK hockey stalwart Richard Boprey’s son and a welcome addition to our ever increasing squad. He had a solid debut on our second line, but it would be against my journalistic instincts not to mention the open goal he missed from just outside the crease. Quite how he managed to tip the puck over the bar from such close range is a mystery to me. As a relieved Richard Hardy stated at the time; ‘At least now someone has missed an easier chance than me this season’.
 
Credit to the Islanders as they never gave up, and it showed as they won the third period. They have always been a team that goes the full 60 minutes and I was impressed with their attitude. There was a time when I would feel sorry for teams when they get thrashed, however after being on the end of a few heavy defeats myself I have come to the conclusion that it’s swings and roundabouts. Some of Peterborough’s players like Steve Maile, Ross Mackintosh and Fraser Hendry have been part of teams that have dished out hidings, however their team isn’t so strong this season and they are now on the receiving end. That’s just hockey unfortunately and it happens to most of us at some point.
 
Considering the sparse locker room at the start of the season, it is unbelievable to think that the Redskins are now boasting four decent lines. To Spoursy’s credit he did roll all of the lines over power plays and shorthanded units so that everybody got ice time. There is now competition for places in all positions and we are all going to have to step up a gear if we want to get on, which is a nice position for the team to be in. The expanded roster is not all good news for the Coach, as it also means that he will have to spend even more time in his shed grinding extra skates. Regardless of anything else, I am sure he is ecstatic at our first four point weekend of the season, which takes away any relegation worries for this season.
 
From a personal point of view I enjoyed the weekend as I got to play in both games and managed to at least get my first point as a Redskin. Considering I thought I wouldn’t play again this year, I am loving being back on the ice. Next week we have a tough road trip to Cardiff on Saturday, and then we host my old team Oxford on the Sunday. Speaking of the Stars, they spent their weekend messing around on the frozen waters outside. Alright for some eh?!
 
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
 
Carrsy
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com