ENL week 28 Round-up

LONDON, UK – Last week Wightlink Raiders coach Jeremy Cornish decided to appeal to the local community on the island to offer employment for prospective players next season. Confirmation then that the big man is planning on a return to the Island for 2010/11, and that he is determined to improve on this years’ sixth place finish. Rumours that the hovercraft company have forwarded a proposal to employ a current Haringey Greyhound are unconfirmed, however I think it makes perfect sense to use Dave Richards’ motor mouth to inflate the boats when he isn’t on the ice. The Raiders can probably get a grant for developing green energy with that signing.
 

On Saturday Mr Richards and his Greyhounds’ team mates travelled south of the river to face us (Streatham Redskins) in the London Derby. It was a massive game for the Greyhounds, as to be perfectly honest, we were their most winnable remaining fixture in their bid to avoid the relegation play off. With players like Norm Pinnington, Scott Beeson and Phillipe Mueller up front, I was expecting a close game. The Greyhounds started reasonably well and it was 1-1 after the first. They ran out of steam in the second and third periods with their short bench taking it’s toll. The final 8-2 score line was convincing in the end and was all the more satisfying given the large crowd boosted by free entry for kids. Within that crowd was a nervous Milton Keynes Thunder coach Lewis Clifford who got the result he needed and went home happy.
 
Redskins goals came from Liam Ramussen x 2, Kent Johnson x 2, Chris Wittenberg, Perry Richardson, Jay Richards and Louis Lockwood. Greyhounds’ goals came from Mueller and Beeson. The main talking points were the fight between Redskins Lukas Zilak and Greyhounds’ Cal Mathison, after the latter had steamed in on Richard Hardy after he poked at the Greyhounds goalie for a rebound. Zilak got two plus two for roughing but Mathison got ejected for the initial hit on Hardy. In the third a frustrated Alastair Band tried to get hold of Streatham youngster Jay Richards, who then appeared to attempt a head butt in retaliation and was promptly ejected.  
 
Clearly Elton John had it right when he declared Saturday night is alright for fighting, as fists also flew in the clash between Peterborough Islanders and Chelmsford Chieftains. The short benched Chieftains were met by an Islanders side clearly determined not to let their season finish without a spark. The win for the Chieftains was expected however the close 6-3 score line was a surprise. A bad tempered affair saw Islanders Craig Lazenby ejected for an altercation with Darren Brown, and various players sit ten minute misconduct penalties. Islanders’ goals came from Ross Mackintosh x 2 (who also missed a penalty shot) and Callum Worthington-Evans. Chieftains goals courtesy of James Ayling x 2, Jerry Pavlus x2, Darren Brown and débutante Grant Bartlett.

The Isle of Wight was a venue predicted by some fans at the start of the season to host a championship winning party. The prediction came to pass, but sadly for the merry band of Wightlink fans, it was visitors Invicta Dynamos who sealed their seventh consecutive ENL South league title with a win over the battling Raiders. The Cube is never an easy place to go and play, and the Mo’s struggled in the early stages, but with the Raiders missing numerous chances to take advantage, the champions eased through 5-2. A goal each from Raider’s Jeremy Cornish and Dan Hughes were cancelled out by goals from Andy Smith x 2, Nicky Lewis x 2 and a sole effort from Tim Smith. Mo’s goalie Shane Kemp got himself an assist and also put in a barnstorming performance on the small ice pad. Jeremy Cornish was allegedly booed by the Invicta fans when receiving his man of the match award but he does play the pantomime villain rather well, so I’d imagine it was water off a ducks back.
 
Sunday saw a full fixture list across the league with the only meaningful games taking place at Chelmsford and Oxford. Milton Keynes Thunder travelled to take on Oxford City Stars team, buoyed by Haringey’s loss the previous night. Tom Roles was drafted into to boost a depleted Thunder side, but aside from a scrap with Stars’ Alan Green, he could do little to help his side as they slumped to a disappointing 9-3 defeat. The much maligned Mike Lucas will be a pretty happy man as he notched a rare goal against his old team, and Joe Edwards also impressed bagging a hat trick for the City Stars. Other goal scorers for Oxford were Ken Forshee, Shannon Taylor, Richard Wojciack and Paul Gore. Thunder’s goals came from Mike Knights, Tom Davis and Martyn Snape.
 
Luckily for the Thunder, Haringey showed no improvement and got comprehensively destroyed in Chelmsford. The Chieftains started Andrew Brummitt in goal for the first time this season, and he earned possibly the easiest shut out in his career as the below strength Hounds lost 17-0. Chieftains goals came from Danny Hammond x 5, Blaho Novak x 4, Aaron Connolly x 2, Darren Brown, Reece Covington, Jerry Pavlus, BT Williams and James Ayling. Greyhounds’ Michael Ranby dropped the gloves with BT Williams and both got two plus two for roughing.
 
Haringey now need to get something at home to Cardiff and hope MK don’t pick up a win against Wightlink next week. Greyhounds coach Sergei Smollenko will have a busy week trying to rouse his team, but with Cardiff looking forward to the play offs it will be interesting to see what team they take up to the Alexandra Palace next week.
 
Speaking of Cardiff, they had the unenviable task of travelling to Kent to face the newly crowned champions on home ice. The game was pretty much meaningless with both sides looking forward to the play offs, however Invicta laid a marker by winning 10-4 in front of their delighted fans. Goal scorers for Invicta were Andy Smith x 3, Elliott Andrews x 2, Nicky Lewis, Joe Johnston x 2, Peter Vaisanen and Loyde Fuller. Cardiff scorers were Chris Jones, Alan Armour, Stephen Deacon and Gareth Dixon. The only other talking point was a bout between Phil Manny and Vaisanen to get the crowd going.
 
The Redskins were in buoyant mood after Saturday’s win over Haringey, however we just couldn’t do enough to beat Wightlink at the High Road. The 4-3 score line is respectable against a team whose fans (and indeed the official programme) have consistently referred to us as whipping boys. Whilst the Skins haven’t had the greatest of seasons, our results show we are clearly ahead of the three teams below us and are in fact unbeaten against them. Add that to draws against Cardiff and Chelmsford plus a one goal defeat in Bracknell and I don’t think we have done too badly. Our previous game on the island was not our best performance, so it was pleasing to see that the lads gave the Raiders a game. Raiders man of the match went to Stuart Tait, with Owen Murphy getting it for the Redskins.
 
The last remaining game on Sunday was a routine win for Bracknell over visitors Peterborough Islanders. The 13-1 victory for Bracknell could have been even worse had it not been for goalie Simon Wren who faced an astonishing 86 shots for the Islanders.
 
So Invicta win their seventh consecutive title despite the improved league this year. Normally this would spark a debate on whether they should take a promotion to the English Premier League, however with Romford, Swindon and Bracknell all rumoured to be looking at ENL for next season, the usual questions need not be asked. One thing is for sure, if the Mo’s want to make it eight in a row, they are going to have to raise their game even further still. For now though they must concentrate on the play offs. Next weekend will be more interesting at the bottom of the table but play off hockey is now only a couple of weeks away. These are exciting times in the ENL and it is only going to get better.
 
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
 
Carrsy
 
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com