Chieftains deny Raiders late

ROMFORD, UK – The Raiders and Chieftains split the points in a pulsating encounter at Rom Valley Way on Saturday evening. One week on from a tight 1-0 game dominated by the goaltending of Michael Gray and Ben Clements, the two Essex rivals shared the spoils as the Chieftains struck late to tie the game with 6 seconds to go.

It was a justifiable climax to a game that had offered ample opportunity for both sides throughout the 60 minutes, but one that will hit the Raiders hard as they came within seconds of ending their now four-game winless streak. Anthony Leone, AJ Smith and debutant import Juraj Huska scored for the Raiders as the home teams offence finally seemed to find its feet after a disappointing 3 goals in 3 games, whilst James Ayling, Matt Turner and Danny Hammond registered for the Chieftains in an open, dogged affair. Romford were missing Frankie Harvey, Steve Paris, Stuart Low and Al Visockas from the line-up, but that seldom seemed to impact an otherwise excellent team performance from the home side. The Raiders, snake bitten and gun-shy over the past two weeks, looked far more comfortable and utilised a solid transition game as they created multiple chances off the rush. The power play was notably superior, owing hugely to the composed stick handling of new import Huska. The 28-year old Slovakian controlled the perimeter and rarely seemed rushed as he teed up Jason Buckman – in particular – with regularity. The Raiders point men were always involved in the home sides 5-on-4 play, something that couldn’t be said for much of the teams extra man play of late. It showed late-on as the Raiders fired away at ex-Romford stopper Euan King in the Chieftains goal, missing the net by inches on a pair of deflections that would surely have sealed the points for the home side. The opening period offered scant indication as to what kind of game lay ahead. Both sides seemed eager to size the other up as they dropped the pace and looked to stretch one another through the neutral zone. King made the only 2 real saves of note as he stopped Huska on an end-to-end rush and then denied Raiders captain Leone on a breakaway. Romford’s momentum carried them into the interval, but it was the Chieftains that struck first early in the second when James Ayling beat Raiders goaltender Michael Gray with a snap-shot from the left after a decisive passing move in the home sides end. With the tempo lifted and the penalties beginning to rack up, the Raiders hit a familiar quickfire pair as Leone and AJ Smith put the home side ahead. Leone, sprung by Joe Allen during a 4-on-4 situation, beat King on the breakaway for his 10^th of the season barely a minute before Smith finished from a cross-crease Buckman feed to stake the Raiders to a 2-1 lead after two. The Raiders shifted the puck with confidence on a couple of third period power plays and, in spite of Matt Turner’s equalising goal from in close, were rewarded when debutant Huska played a 1-2 with Tyrone Miller and lifted a shot over a sprawling King for a 3-2 Romford lead. Grant Baxter and Danny Cox dropped the gloves after a series of crunching hits on the Chieftains’ Richard Gunn and with momentum suitably on their side owing to a late, late Raiders penalty it was left to Chelmsford’s Danny Hammond to fire home a devastating tying goal with 6 seconds left in the game. Contact the author – alex.nunn@prohockeynews.com