Tigers tamed as Wildcats roar back to win
Telford Tigers saw their NIHL National League winless run extend to three games as they tasted defeat on the road at Swindon Wildcats on Saturday.
Tigers had led 3-1 early in the second period, but the table-topping Wildcats hit back to triumph 6-3.
The setback left Tigers head coach Tom Watkins frustrated and urging his side to find some consistency.
"We saw the best and worst of our game, the level we can get to, but we can’t seem to sustain it, which is a huge frustration," said Watkins.
"We put ourselves in a great position then mental lapses creep in, individual errors, a weak mentality and no resilience - it’s not the first time this season we have seen that.
"We have played well in one-off games, home and away, but we are looking for consistency in performances. We want the feeling where you know you're going to perform, we're almost hoping to perform rather than expecting to.
"This is an acid test. We feel we can rise to the challenge. We have a lot of questions to answer with this group of players.”
Tigers fell behind in the eighth minute when Swindon player/coach Aaron Nell scored from close range.
But the visitors hit back two minutes later with a power play goal. Josh Shaw was serving a high-sticking penalty for Swindon and Brynley Capps scored from a set up by Harry Ferguson to draw the sides level.
Five minutes into the second period, Tigers were ahead. David Thomson sent Eric Henderson in on goal and he shot into the roof of the goal with a superbly placed wrist shot.
Less than three minutes later, Tigers extended their lead with another power play goal. Capps was the provider this time, setting up Tom Byrne to score.
But that was as good as it got for Telford as an all-too-familiar collapse occurred.
Swindon pulled a goal back just 15 seconds later with a shot from distance from Tomasz Malasinski that beat Brad Day.
With five minutes of the period left, Telford conceded three goals in less than three minutes to find themselves chasing a game once again.
Tyler Watkins scored with a power play goal to level, Logan Vande Meerakker struck next with a shot that went in off Rhodes Mitchell-King’s skate, before a further goal from Watkins sent Tigers into the break 5-3 behind.
Tigers didn’t threaten much in the third period and Swindon sealed victory with a late goal from Edgars Bebris.
