Tigers Head Coach Tom Watkins will refuse to hit the panic button after watching his table-topping side suffer their first winless weekend of the season.
Saturday night’s 3-2 defeat to Basingstoke Bison was followed by a 5-4 home reverse against Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.
Those losses mean Telford’s lead at the top of the English Premier League has been cut to nine points, after Guildford’s draw at home to Sheffield.
But Watkins believes his players have all the tools necessary to bounce back from a disappointing weekend.
He said: “It is always tough when you’re striving to win a championship, and everybody wants to play harder against you.
“I think Basingstoke and Peterborough did that this weekend. It is good for our team to take those hits sometimes. It builds our character.
“The last time we lost two games straight, we went on and won twelve in a row. We had a lot of guys out of the line-up, like we did tonight, and it is up to those guys who in unfamiliar positions to step up to the mark.”
The trip to Basingstoke on Saturday saw Telford go behind after just seven minutes, although they equalised at the start of the second period through Rick Plant.
Dan Davies gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at the halfway point of the third period, only for the Bison to equalise just moments later.
That set up a nailbiting period of overtime, before a save from Dean Skinns during the penalty shootout secured two points for the hosts.
“We can’t just show up with expectation,” Watkins said.
It comes down to more than that and we need to bounce back straight away.
“So far this season, we’ve done that and we have a great record at home. We have to put in a 60-minute performance and play as hard as we can, whenever we’re on the ice.
“We need to do the little things better, like shooting the puck. To have just 28 shots on their goal is not good enough.
“If you don’t have success in shooting the puck, then you’re a bit slower in doing it and the chance is gone.”
Tigers netminder Thomas Murdy defends his goal, alongside Jonathan Weaver
On Sunday night, it was a similar story, with Telford having a goal controversially disallowed after just 15 seconds.
That appeared to put a dampner on The Tigers, as Peterborough built a two-goal cushion by the halfway point of the first period.
Jonathan Weaver halved that advantage on 13 minutes, although the Phantoms struck once again at the start of the second session.
Telford once again responded just moments later, through Scott McKenzie, but further goals gave their opponents a 4-2 lead after 28 minutes.
Max Bribraer’s fine goal handed the home fans a glimmer of hope just before the end of the period, but it was Peterborough who secured the points on 55 minutes.
Peter Szabo scored late on for Telford, but it wasn’t enough to force the game into overtime. Watkins added: “It seemed like a good game to watch and there was a bit of everything. “There was physical play, a lot of skill and of course, goals. The atmosphere inside the rink was really good and the fans really brought the noise with them.
“Of course, it was disappointing to lose and when the guys don’t convert a five-on-three, you know it is going to be a tough day.”
Telford are back in action next weekend, when they host Billingham Stars in the British Challenge Cup on Saturday evening.
NIHL:
Jason Parry will order a more “clinical” approach from his Tigers NIHL youngsters, after a disappointing 4-4 draw with Hull Jets on Sunday evening.
The Laidler Conference newcomers travelled north with high hopes of securing a second win of the weekend, following their 2-0 win over Widnes Wild on Saturday.
But despite holding a 4-2 advantage at the midway point of the third period, Telford allowed Hull back into the game, with two late goals.
Parry wants his players to learn from the disappointment of letting victory slip through their fingers, during what it is for some, their first season at senior level.
He said: “We should have seen the game out, especially later on. If we’d taken our chances during the second period, we wouldn’t have been in that position.
“I said to the guys, that the more we let Hull stay in the game, the more their tails would be up. And so it proved.
“We’ve dropped points tonight, but we need to look at where we’ve come from.
“It is a steep learning curve and we know we need to be much more clinical.”
Saturday night’s encounter at Telford Ice Rink saw The Tigers struggle to assert their authority over a Widnes side they had dominated earlier in the season.
Tigers netminder Thomas Murdy defends his goal
Goals from Karol Jets and James Smith ultimately gave Telford victory, despite them coming under heavy pressure during the third period.
“We were a bit flat in the first period, but still came away with a 1-0 lead and in the second period, we just couldn’t put our chances away,” Parry said.
“James Smith scored a great goal for us later on, but there were also good performances from guys like Matthew Lees in defence.
“He‘s been training with the English Premier League side over Christmas, which was a great experience for him.
“About four or five of our guys did the same thing and it is just another level. The tempo is quicker and stronger, so what they learn there, they bring back to us and we benefit from it.” On Sunday, it was Callum Griffin who gave Telford the lead at the end of the first period, followed by a further strike from Karol Jets on 27 minutes.
The hosts hit back five minutes later, although James Smith restored The Tigers’ cushion before the end of the second session.
Hull again pegged the visitors back at the start of the third period, but it was Smith who seemingly secured the points with a second goal of the night.
A defensive collapse in the last ten minutes handed the Jets a golden opportunity to record an unlikely comeback, however.
Parry added: “We didn’t play very well at all in the third period, even though there were a couple of soft penalties.
“It was a double points game, so we still came away with two points, but I know we can do better.”
The Tigers NIHL are back in action next weekend, when they travel to Coventry Blaze on Saturday, before the visit of Blackburn Eagles to Telford on Sunday (5.30pm).
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