"What a big win that was" - Telford Tigers see off the leaders
Telford Tigers inflicted just a second defeat of the season on NIHL National League leaders Swindon Wildcats.
The Tigers bounced back from a 7-5 defeat at MK Lightning on Saturday to edge out Swindon 4-3 and move up to third in the table.
Kieran Brown (two), Danny Rose and Brynley Capps were on target as the Tigers came from 2-0 down to win 4-3.
Watkins said: “What a big win that was. I am pleased for the whole team, they put a lot into the game and it was great to bounce back and pick up two points against a Swindon team who have had a solid start to the season.
"They are well organised, well coached and very difficult to breakdown and hard to create quality chances against.
"We stuck with it when we were two goals down and worked to improve our forecheck and force some turnovers we could look to capitalise on.
"It could have gone either way this evening, but coming from two goals behind we can be proud of how we managed the game.”
The deadlock was broken in the first period with Swindon’s first power play of the night. Patrick Brown was called for high sticking and just 11 seconds into the power play, Aaron Nell scored.
Brown didn’t heed the lesson of the first penalty and was called later in the period for tripping. Swindon took advantage of the extra attacker again and scored through Logan Vande Meerakker.
t was harsh on Telford to be behind by two goals and late in the period they got a goal back. Brown scored a superb goal from a tight angle with a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle.
A goalless second period left Tigers chasing the game in the final 20 minutes.
Just 26 seconds into the third period, Tigers were level. A Danny Rose shot from the blue line appeared to deflect off a Swindon defender and go in off the post.
Tigers then took their first lead of the night when Deakan Fielder picked out Brown with a precise pass allowing Brown to redirect the puck into the open net.
Swindon hit back five minutes later when Vande Meerakker passed to the unmarked Glenn Billing, who hammered a shot past Brad Day from the slot to tie the game up.
With both teams pushing for the winner, it would be the home side who scored next. Brynley Capps fought his way through the Swindon defence and forced the puck past Renny Marr in the Swindon goal.
The Wildcats had three minutes to get back level and threw everything at the Tigers’ goal but Day stood tall and the defence held out to send Swindon to their first regulation loss of the season.
