Tigers coach Tom Watkins credited his side’s recovery from a “blip” in Hull last month for their third straight win, as they went six points clear at the top of the English Premier League.
Sunday’s 6-3 success over second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning means Telford have scored twelve goals since that 6-0 defeat at the hands of Hull Pirates last week.
Photo credit Steve Brodie
Victory at Telford Ice Rink followed a 2-1 success in Milton Keynes on Saturday evening, as the Tigers continued to tighten their grip on the EPL title race.
Watkins, who has guided his side to an unbeaten start to the season at home, believes that defeat in Hull was the catalyst for their current run of form.
He said: “We had that blip in Hull last week and that sort of thing tends to refocus you, and sometimes gets you back on the right page.
“Often, a team will need that to start putting the honest effort back into performances.”
The county men nearly didn’t have it all their own way on Sunday night, however, when the visitors took the lead after just 18 seconds.
Telford rattled the crossbar twice in a bad-tempered opening session, but couldn’t find a way past Lightning netminder Przemyslaw Odrobny.
Watkins added: “It still felt good at the end of the first period, but we started the same way as last night.
“We were a bit flat and there were quite a few stoppages, so it was hard to get any rhythm going.”
The second period was a different affair, as Telford took the lead with quickfire goals from Jason Silverthorn and Adam Jones on 27 minutes.
Milton Keynes hit back almost straight away, but the Tigers regained their advantage through Milan Kolena at the halfway point of the game.
“Their netminder was playing his third game in three days, so we started getting pucks in front of the net and made him work hard,” the Tigers coach said.
“He started looking a bit fatigued, and we took our chances really well. It was nice to see Jonesy score tonight and Silvs got a great little stick lift for his goal.”
Doug Clarkson added a fourth for Telford at the start of the third period, before Corey McEwen sealed victory with two goals in the final twelve minutes- taking his tally for the weekend to four.
The Lightning then scored a late consolation with five minutes remaining.
Watkins said: “It was important that we struck while the iron was hot and kept progressing in the third period.
“Again, I thought we got better as the game wore on tonight, defended better and were smarter on the puck.”
“They pinned us a couple of times in the third period, but guys were prepared to battle and block shots, so they didn’t get any really good opportunities.”
Telford Tigers are back in action next weekend, when they host Bracknell Bees on Saturday (6pm), before a trip to face Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday (5.30pm).
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