LONDON, UK – It is hard to believe but there are times when this column is as pleasurable to write as swimming in a river full of candiru fish after drinking eight pints of Fosters.
Gone for now… but we hope not forever. Wightlink Raiders in happier times.
This is one such week, and whilst the physical pain is less than the translucent fish speeding down the penis, it doesn’t make for any less emotional pain when documenting events.
The closure of Ryde Arena as documented in Pro Hockey News meant that Wightlink Raiders announced they would not be able to compete for the rest of the season.
This affects the supporters, players, officials from the junior club, right through to the senior and recreational teams, By Sunday the Raiders and the EIHA released a joint statement with the further details. You can read it HERE
The NIHL South now goes down to eight teams with many contemplating losing at least a couple of home games and the revenue they would bring.
It remains to be seen how the remaining clubs will pad out their fixture lists to ensure they can pay their weekly bills. It also means that every club will now qualify for the Play-Offs and the NIHL South Cup Semi-Finals (those that entered anyway).
der der der.. de de der der der (Brass Bonanza)
It is often said that they run a tight ship down at Invicta and nowhere more so than the bar where they announced a new happy hour for Sunday’s game against Wightlink. Unlike many happy hours that last for 2 or 3 hours, Bar Blu stuck to the letter of the law and advertised reduced prices between 3pm and 4pm.
Showing an image of two steins of lager, one could imagine a Kent version of Munich’s Hofbrauhaus complete with sausages, lederhosen and a brass band booming out the Dynamos goal tune to an expectant crowd.
Saturday action review
For the second week running, London Raiders enjoyed a home cup victory against a key rival with Invicta Dynamos the victims to a 10-5 defeat.
The Raiders had made a big splash of pink for Breast Cancer Now with their pre-game build up promising to have Coach Alan Blyth wearing a pink suit in exchange for donations.
Not only did Blyth keep his promise but he may have to keep wearing it for good luck as his team took the points thanks to a JJ Pitchley hat trick, a brace each from Marek Nahlik and Tom Davis plus lone goals from Jacob Ransom Slavomir Buda and Bailey Chittock.
Invicta scorers were Adam Rehak and Haydn Wootton with two goals each and one from Ashley Jackson.
Raiders in Pink!
The goalies stole the headlines as both clubs are enduring an injury crisis at present. For Invicta it was 43 year old Glen Redbourne bravely coming out of retirement to save the Mo’s and for London they drafted in former Cardiff goalie Ross Miller who was last seen in Bristol Pitbull colours.
In Streatham, Solent Devils enjoyed their first ever win with a well-deserved 4-2 victory.
The out of form Londoners would have expected to grab both points but were shocked by the spirited performance of the Devils who made a little bit of history thanks to goals from Paul Petts, Mitchell Murray, Richard Facey and Alex Murray.
Sean Scarbrough and Michal Oravec scored for Streatham but were still unable to halt a five game winless streak.
Solent punish Streatham (Rick Webb)
In Gosport, Wightlink Raiders iced in their last ever ‘home’ fixture as they took on Oxford City Stars in an emotional evening.
Many of the Raiders ex-players turned up to say goodbye to a team they had all sweated and bled for over the years.
The Stars were in no mood to roll over and won 8-4 thanks to a brace from Raiders old boy Alan Green and lone goals from Darren Elliott, Josh Oliver, Joe Edwards, Mike Whillock, Matt Jordan, Dom Hopkins and Ondrej Pekarik.
Ryan Webb hit a hat trick for Wightlink with George Norcliffe getting the other.
Sunday action review
If Saturday was emotional for the Raiders and their fans, Sunday was a whole other level in Gillingham.
Rumours that former Mo’s netminder Steve Nightingale was wildly knocking back shots of Sambuca in Bar Blu for sixty solid minutes to celebrate his new position with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association proved to be unfounded, but evidence did suggest that the 482 days media team arrived at 2.59pm and ordered their third bottle of sauvignon blanc at 4.00pm on the dot.
The final handshakes for Wightlink
They also asked the bar staff if the pork scratchings were discounted as well as the drinks!
Back to the game and with both teams knowing that the result would be expunged from the record books it was played in a more friendly spirit.
The EIHA to their credit allowed Raiders Coach Jeremy Cornish to suit up alongside suspended trio Danny Ingolsby, Corey Watkins and Ben Paynter.
It was déjà vu for Cornish as he had iced in a similar type of game when the London Racers folded mid-season around a decade before.
The result finished 5-3 in Invicta’s favour however the Kent club did their very best to send off the Raiders in style allowing them a guard of honour at the start of the match and then a lap of honour to chants of ‘Raiders’ from all sides.
Alex Sampford had the honour of scoring the last Raiders goal with five minutes to go, assisted by Corey Watkins and Aidan Doughty.
No doubt footage will be available on Mo’s TV in a few days so take a look if you get a spare minute. We get a feeling this won’t be the last we will see of Wightlink Raiders and we hope its simply a break.
Tea boy Edwards (Paul Foster)
In Oxford the match-up between the resident City Stars and London Raiders was eagerly anticipated with both teams’ dark horses in the league.
In the end it was a more one sided scoreline than was expected with Oxford winning 9-3 in an ill-tempered game that saw Raiders’ Matt France ejected for ‘hooking to the genitalia’ amongst a number of other penalties for the visitors.
Oxford took full advantage and young Hallam Wilson scored a hat trick that will live long in his memory. Other goals came from Josh Oliver with two and one each for Mike Whillock, Dom Hopkins, Josh Florey, Alan Green and Ondrej Pekarik.
London scorers were Marek Nahlik with two and a lone effort for Slavomir Buda.
The set of game photos released by the club featured some of the Stars serving tea before the game which certainly raises a number of questions about Coach Simon Anderson’s unique pre-match preparation techniques.
Get the tea order wrong and no place on special teams?
Streatham finally snapped their poor run of form with a 3-1 road win over Solent.
Two goals from Michal Oravec and an empty netter from Callum Best gave the travelling supporters something to cheer, with Mark Pitt getting the lone goal for the home side.
The result moves Streatham up to mid-table and away from the bottom of the league.
Turner troubles the Thunder (Ian Snoding)
Chelmsford continued their quiet charge up the league with a big 11-3 win over Milton Keynes Thunder.
The game looked finely balanced at the midway stage before the two lines of the visitors tired and were blown away.
Grant Bartlett scored four goals, Danny Hammond got two and the others came from Darren Brown, Juraj Huska, Ollie Baldock, Matt Turner and Jake Sylvester,
Jamie Line scored two for MK with Jakub Klima also netting against his old club.
All of Wightlinks results will be expunged from the league so it will need to be updated but currently the Chieftains are yet to lose in the competition and already the others are playing catch up.
At the bottom Bracknell Hornets remain rooted but with still plenty hockey to play.
Results
Saturday 22 October 2016
Streatham IHC 2-4 Solent Devils
Wightlink Raiders 4-8 Oxford City Stars
London Raiders 10-5 Invicta Dynamos (Cup)
Sunday 23 October 2016
Solent Devils 1-3 Streatham IHC
Oxford City Stars 9-3 London Raiders
Chelmsford Chieftains 11-3 MK Thunder
Invicta Dynamos 5-3 Wightlink Raiders (Cup)
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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