Raiders end year on top

ROMFORD, UK – Romford Raiders capitalised on defeat for the Chelmsford Chieftains to cement leadership of the English National League South Division 1 table heading into the new year. The Chieftains’ last-gasp 5-4 loss on the Isle Of Wight gave Raiders the chance to leapfrog their Essex rivals in the chase for league honours. And Raiders duly dispatched the Bracknell Hornets 5-2 on Saturday as goals from JJ McGrath, Anthony Leone, Shaun Yardley (2) and Tyrone Miller saw the visitors comfortably home despite the absence of AJ Smith, Grant Taylor, Shaun Wallis and Michael Gray. Sunday’s crunch clash with the Invicta Dynamos at Rom Valley Way, at least on paper, presented a stern test of Raiders’ league leadership. What transpired however was a largely one-sided game that Raiders dominated en-route to a 9-3 win. A five-goal first period all but ended the game as a contest after 20 minutes, and despite a subdued second period that saw Dynamos register twice without reply, Raiders turned the screw in the third to secure victory in front of a strong home crowd. After Glen Jackson had gloved Callum Fowler’s early shot from the left side, Raiders’ defenceman Julian Smith fired a loose puck past Dynamos’ goaltender Andy Moffat to put the home side ahead. Yardley doubled the lead on a shorthanded breakaway after intercepting a cross-ice pass at his own blueline, and player-coach Danny Marshall staked Raiders further ahead with a tap-in following good work by Juraj Huska. Huska fired a wrister through Moffat on a 2-on-1 rush with AJ Smith, and Wallis made it 5-0 at the close of the first period with a backdoor tap-in after another good save by Moffat. The second period failed to match the intensity of the first as Dynamos deservedly got on the board through Adam Copland and Harrisson Lillis. With Wallis in the box on a slashing penalty, defenseman Copland beat Jackson from Ryan Ellis’ precise setup for a powerplay tally. Lillis, notching his first senior goal for the Dynamos, fired past Jackson soon after to make it 5-2. Raiders raised their game again in the final period, Matt Turner scoring twice in a standout spell. Turner capitalised on a fanned clearance to beat Moffat from the left side, and, after Justin Noble had bagged a consolation strike for the visitors, the ex-Chieftains forward set-up Anthony Leone for a far post tap-in. AJ Smith, returning to the line-up after missing Raiders victory in Bracknell on Saturday, made it 8-3, and Turner capped the scoring with his second of the period, a wide-open rebound following another big Moffat save. Raiders now lead the Chelmsford Chieftains by a single point heading into the new year, though they also have a game in hand on their Essex rivals. Raiders return to action on January 2^nd (6:30pm) against the Chieftains in a South-East Trophy encounter at Rom Valley Way. Romford confirmed tournament victory earlier this month and will lift the seasons first silverware after the game. Contact the author – alex.nunn@prohockeynews.com