Telford Tigers keen to end the year with much-needed win

The Tigers head to Solway Sharks having thrown away a three-goal lead on their way to a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Steeldogs on Thursday night.

It was the hosts who led after the first period thanks to a strike from Jonathan Kirk. But Tigers, who gave a debut to new signing Archie Hazeldine following his arrival on a two-way contract with Elite League team Coventry Blaze, roared back.

Vladimir Luka set up Louie Newell to score before Harry Ferguson made it 2-1. Tigers added a third when Jesse Sutton netted and with the hosts reeling, Luka fired home a fourth.

But it all went wrong in the third period as goals from Ben Cutts, Tate Shudra, James Spurr and Jonathan Phillips – the last coming after Tigers’ Jaden Peca had been ejected from the game, saw the Steeldogs home.

Tigers head coach Tom Watkins, said “Did we deserve to lose? No, but you have to earn the right to win and players need to learn that. We were on the wrong end of multiple decisions that affected the result of the game but we need to learn to deal with adversity better and with more resilience and composure.

“Ultimately the scoreline is the most important aspect and we chalk up another loss from a winning position, it really doesn’t matter what happens or what we say after the buzzer.”