Week 13 ENL Round-up

LONDON, UK – So after last weekend’s wrist slitting musings I am happy to report that the league has been a hive of activity with plenty to talk about this week.
 
After Haringey’s weekend of shame last weekend it was very pleasing to hear that a group fronted by former player and TV pundit Nick Rothwell has agreed to take over the club. This gives the Greyhounds a much needed financial boost but also a new focus towards player recruitment. I will report on the issue in more detail in subsequent columns.
 
Despite traditionally being a settled squad, the Oxford City Stars continued their revolving door transfer policy of late by swooping for Andrew Shurmer from Cardiff whilst at the same time allowing Lee Featherstone to return to Milton Keynes. Juraj Rusic is also rumoured to be returning shortly to the Stars line up.
 
Barry Spours added more firepower to his squad as Streatham signed Wightlink Raiders forward Kent Johnson. The former Solent and Oxford forward is one of those players that looks very unassuming on the ice but believe me, he knows where the goal is.
 
I must confess that a trip to the Gillingham Ice Bowl was not an event I was looking forward to this weekend. However, unlike the Haringey

Greyhounds the week before, it was not the thought of a heavy defeat that put me off the trip to Kent but more personal circumstance.
 
Forty eight hours earlier I was flying 38,000 feet over Africa, feeling the very real effects of a suspect Zambian pizza, with an absorbing fear in my mind. The uncomfortable realisation that if I didn’t recover by game day, there would be a very real chance that I could get stranded on the mouldy ‘toilet’ in the visitor’s locker room (probably without toilet roll). Needless to say I consumed Imodium like candy.
 
My lack of enthusiasm was quickly reversed as the teams skated out on to the ice. Both sets of supporters created a cracking atmosphere, which really does make all the difference to the occasion. Thankfully we managed to rise to this, and gave the Dynamos a decent game I thought. Granted we lost 4-0 but we did have chances to score and we are now looking like a squad that can cause any team problems in this league.
 
Elliott Andrews scored a brace for the Dynamos but the star of the show was our goalie Will Sanderson who was excellent again. Andrews has been a good player for a long time and I remember watching him play well for Blackburn Hawks over a decade ago, it is a credit to him that he is still making an impact. As for Sanderson it remains to be seen how far he will go in the game. I have to admit when I first saw him training I thought he was a tea bag (purely based on the fact that I was scoring past him), but his performances for us this year have been exceptional and if he keeps it up he will be knocking on the door of the EPL shortly.
 
Back to the Dynamos, I have to say that if I was asked which line I wanted to be on it would have to be the Baxter/Fuller/Leone one. I think it’s pretty obvious that their role is simply to get on the ice and hit as many people as possible in each shift then get straight off. Looks like great fun.
 
I still find it odd seeing Joe ‘Mr Streatham’ Johnston playing against the Redskins. I know he wants to win trophies and I am sure he will, however UK hockey trophies always seem to have figures with Grid Iron helmets on in my experience, not to mention the EIHA ribbons fray badly on the medals (hint hint). Seriously though, Kevin Parrish has really gone to town this year with his squad and it has proven a wise tactic bearing in mind the improvement across the league. The only loser at Invicta is the poor person doing all the laundry for such a big squad.
 
The only game to take place on Saturday was in Peterborough. The Islanders seemed to be on course for a much needed two points as they led Oxford 5-3 with twelve minutes to go in the game. Not for the first time, the Stars staged a Ken Forshee inspired comeback and won the game 6-5.
 
On Sunday the Stars hosted Chelmsford and showed the same comeback spirit. The Essex side were 4-2 up thanks to two goals for Danny Hammond and one a piece for Jerry Pavlus and Alex Green. Oxford hit back in the third with Forshee reducing the margin before Grant ‘Ace’ Bailey stepped up to score the equaliser. Aside from being a good player, Ace is one of the funniest men you could wish to meet and more importantly a great guy to have in the locker room.
 
The galvanised Haringey Greyhounds travelled to Milton Keynes to take on a Thunder side that is equally lacking in confidence at the moment. In a battle of nerves, the Greyhounds managed to take a two goal lead intothe dying minutes of the game, courtesy of goals from Stuart Appleby and Nick Gallagher. Sadly for Rothwells’ new team, the Thunder scored two quick goals to tie the game at 5-5.
 
Cardiff enjoyed a 7-0 win over Wightlink who seem destined for mid table. Cardiff’s Steve Fisher is a transfer target for the Basingstoke Bison so it will be interesting to see if he gets offered the chance to step up full time this week.
 
I feel desperately sorry for Wightlink’s supporters and volunteers who must be suffering right now. My brother went down to the Isle of Wight as an 18 year old in 2003 for his first break in pro hockey and he always spoke highly of the dedication and friendliness they showed him. One kind couple would even cook his dinner and leave it on a plate covered in foil on his doorstep for when he woke up. I hope things turn around soon for the club.
 
Bracknell Hornets took out last week’s frustration of the cancelled fixture by thrashing Peterborough 12-0. Ben Duggan, Brad Watchorn and Mark Galazzi all got hat tricks for the Hornets in a one sided affair.
 
Next week Chelmsford and Invicta meet on Sunday and I predict a narrow victory for the Mo’s. Yes I am as predictable as football/soccer pundit Mark Lawrenson.
   
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
Carrsy
 
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com