Telford Tigers go the extra mile in NIHL Cup bid

The Tigers face a mammoth weekend which will include 400-mile round trip and both legs of their semi-final clash with Solway Sharks.

Dumfries-based Sharks host the first game tonight, before the return at Telford Ice Rink tomorrow (6pm face-off).

Watkins and his team were poised to begin the long trek to Scotland at midday and know they will not return until the early hours of tomorrow morning.

But the coach said: “I don’t see it being a problem. It’s just part and parcel of the sport and we did exactly the same trip only a few weeks ago, winning both games.

“We’ll make sure we get up there early enough to be ready. The lads are quite used to sleeping on the bus. You become accustomed to it.”

Watkins knows the Tigers face a tough test against the Sharks, who sit fourth in the Moralee Conference and pushed them all the way in the recent league meeting.

“They are a good side,” said Watkins. “The game at our place last month was particularly close.

“It’s a huge weekend. We are four games away from winning a piece of silverware. If that doesn’t motivate the players then nothing will.

“There is also a financial incentive. The club relies on games to keep bringing in revenue and if we win this weekend, that is another weekend where we will be playing.

“It is really important for us to make the final.”