Tigers chief Tom Watkins believes the pressure will be on Guildford Flames in Saturday’s top-two clash at the Spectrum in Surrey.
The two teams meet with 11 points separating them at the top of the English Premier League, as the business end of the season starts in earnest.
A Telford victory would see them go 13 points clear, leaving them needing just eight wins from the remaining 17 games to secure the title.
Their last meeting in Guildford ended in a 7-1 success for The Tigers, and Watkins wants the expectation to be firmly on their hosts, as they look to reverse that result.
He said: “We are first and they are second, and I expect the pressure to be on Guildford. It is a big game for us, and if we win, it is all about stamping our authority down.
“We’re under no ilusions. They have to play and they have to come at us hard.
“Guildford need to come out and put us on the back foot, so it is a huge game for both teams.”
Sunday evening, meanwhile, sees Telford entertain bottom of the table Bracknell Bees, in a classic ‘banana skin encounter.
The Berkshire outfit are ten points adrift in ninth place, but their last trip to Shropshire almost ended in victory.
On that occasion, they fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat, and Watkins will keep that result in mind on Sunday.
He said: “Bracknell will have that underdog mentality, and they’re in same position we were before.
“As a club, it really galvanises the team, the longer they are in the game, especially when they’re in the lead.
“It frustrates the bigger team and it is something Bracknell did when they last played here.
“Whether it is the bottom team, or a team near the top, we have to grind out results. We will be looking to pick up points in every game, regardless of who we are playing.”
Sunday’s game against Bracknell Bees, at Telford Ice Rink, will also see Capgemini and Armed Forces personnel admitted at a discount rate, on production of their id cards.
The Military Wives choir from RAF Shawbury will also be performing at the game.
Face-off is at 5.30pm.
EPL tie-in:
Tom Watkins will dismiss all talk of the British Challenge Cup on Saturday, when his Tigers side make the trip to Guildford Flames.
The two teams meet in a dress-rehearsal of next month’s cup semi-final, as Telford look to claim their first major silverware since 1998.
But with precious English Premier League points at stake in Surrey, Watkins will be focused on extending The Tigers’ lead at the top of the standings.
He said: “The league is very much our priority at the moment, and we need to put in a good performance in all three zones against Guildford.
“We’re not looking too far ahead and we’ll have the same approach as always. If you start changing that, then you start changing the thought processes of the players.
“Saturday is a one-off game in itself, and the closer we get to the semi-final, then we’ll start looking at it.
“Of course, we’ll be able to use feedback from that match for games ahead, but Saturday is about Saturday.”
Telford’s last trip to Guildford ended in a 7-1 victory for the Shropshire men, but Watkins is expecting a tougher challenge this weekend.
He added: “Guildford have made some changes to their side and will be a very different prospect. For example, they’ve got two new imports.
“We definitely won’t be looking back when we go there and it was a very long time ago in the season when we won 7-1.
“It is all to play for.”
NIHL Lead:
Tigers NIHL coach Scott McKenzie will demand a turnaround in fortunes against Deeside Dragons on Sunday, after he branded last week’s loss to Sheffield as “unacceptable”.
The county men lost their unbeaten record against the Senators with a 4-2 defeat at Telford Ice Rink – leaving them on level-pegging in the Laidler Conference.
The trip to Deeside offers Telford the chance to gain a foothold in second place – but McKenzie wants an improved attitude from his players.
He said: “Last week’s home loss to Sheffield was unacceptable. We played with no heart or desire and showed up expecting to win.
“We are not good enough to do that. We must work hard in the right places and be smart all over the ice.
“I am really looking for a response from the guys on Sunday. We have tried to give them a lift in training this week and hopefully that will work.”
Deeside will be something of an unknown challenge for The Tigers, with their record showing a string of impressive wins against the lower sides.
But with the Dragons also having lost to many of those teams they have beaten, the Telford chief wants his players to concentrate on their own game.
“It certainly won’t be easy against Deeside,” he said.
“I am looking for us to simplify our game and keep it simple throughout.
“If we work hard and do the little things right, then we have enough ability to win.”
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