Boss frustrated after Telford Tigers crash to heavy defeat
Frustrated head coach Tom Watkins accused Telford Tigers of “failing to turn up” after they were thrashed at home by Sheffield Steeldogs.
Watkins pulled no punches after seeing his team’s perfect home record go up in smoke as they were thumped 8-2 on their own ice.
He said: “We simply weren’t good enough.
“We didn’t turn up, there was no push back or physicality and I was really disappointed with our poor game management. I expect much more from this group of players.”
Though the Tigers entered the night having won all six of their National Division home matches, the visitors also boasted an unblemished away record and it would be extended in emphatic fashion.
Sheffield went in front with the first shot of the game when Kyle Watson fired over Brad Day’s shoulder and into the roof of the net.
Telford hit back when short-handed with Eric Henderson leading the breakaway and passing for David Thomson to score and though CJ Garcia restored the visiting side’s lead, Patrick Brown netted on the power play to make the score 2-2.
But from there things unravelled for the hosts as they conceded twice more before the end of the first period.
A routine shot from Walker Sommer went in and out of Day’s glove and dropped into the net to give Sheffield the lead again, before Watson scored with a low shot to give the Steeldogs a two-goal cushion.
Telford were struggling to match the physicality of their visitors, who went further ahead when Bair Gendunov netted from close range.
Watson then completed his hat-trick after Sheffield pounced on a turnover to score on the breakaway.
Not even a change of netminder at the start of the third period, when Ben Norton replaced Day, could stem the flow.
Sheffield scored with their next two shots, Sommer getting his second of the night with a delayed penalty goal after being tripped by Caelan McPhee, with Joonas Larinmaa then firing over Norton’s shoulder and into the net for the visitors’ eighth.
The Tigers will now look to bounce back this weekend when they face reigning champions Leeds Knights in a double-header, away in Yorkshire on Saturday before returning to Shropshire on Sunday (6pm).
“We were far from our best this evening, we got a bad start and were quickly behind in the game,” said Watkins.
“We didn’t manage their speed, our defence made bad decisions pressing pucks where we had no back pressure and forwards doing a poor job tracking back allowed them to get above us way too easily.
“You give any team that many odd-man rushes, then you are going to struggle.”
