Match Report
Solway Sharks Match Report, Whitley Warriors & Billingham Stars 15 & 16-02-14.
The Solway Sharks, sponsored by Magnox Ltd, recorded another four point weekend when they completed a four-nil victory road victory over the Billingham Stars on Sunday evening. This moved the Dumfries side onto the forty point mark and ensured that they won their third league title in a row with four games to spare. This was the Sharks eighth national trophy under Coach Grubb in the last six seasons and consolidates their place as the most successful sports team in the region. This weekend the Solway Sharks, sponsored by Magnox Ltd, return to Northern Cup duty as they welcome the Manchester Minotaurs back to the Shark Tank. To be sure of a place in next months cup final the Sharks need to win all three of their remaining group games or win against either Manchester or Billingham and beat Blackburn by three goals in the final match of the round robin stage. While Manchester cannot qualify for the cup final they will be determined continue their development with good performance over the newly crowned NIHL Moralee Conference Champions and the supporters can expect an open, fast-paced attacking game. Face-off at Dumfries Ice Bowl is at the usual time of 7pm on Saturday evening.
Last Saturday the Magnox Ltd. Solway Sharks welcomed old rivals the Whitley Warriors back to the Shark Tank knowing that two points, combined with Blackburn’s dropped point in Sheffield, would allow them to lift the NIHL Moralee Conference title the following day in Billingham. On the night the Sharks produced a performance which, like the curate’s egg, was good in parts but sufficient to record an eight-five victory.
After a fairly low key opening to the game Whitley created their first real chance just after the five minute mark when a Callum Watson shot sent back-up netminder Kieran Hobbins sliding across his crease to pad the puck to the safety of the boards. Three minutes later good work on the wing from the lively Pavol Melichercik created space for him to feed Craig Thurston in the face-off circle but his low drive only met the pads of the Warriors netminder Richard Lawson. Just after the midway point in the period Hobbins was again called into action to make a fine double pad save from Daniel Good in a goal-mouth scramble. Immediately Solway counter-attacked and young Joe Coulter was unlucky to see his attempt at goal deflect from the keepers skate and slide agonisingly across the face of goal and deflect wide from the right-hand post.
The Sharks finally opened the scoring with a powerplay goal just before the twelve minute mark when Stevie Moore fed Iain Bowie in the slot, his shot was well blocked by Lawson but the rebound fell kindly for Frazer Goldie to slot home from three yards out. However, the home supporters were barely back in their seats before Whitley were level. From the restart Karl Culley and Paul Matthews worked the puck over to Robert Wilson and his shot from outside the blueline flew just over the keeper’s outstretched glove and found the back of the net. Undeterred the Sharks went back to work and re-took the lead ninety seconds later when Melichercik found Bowie free in front of goal with a pinpoint pass and the lethal striker duly fired home. The visitors again picked up their game and their pressure quickly forced a powerplay on which they again levelled the scores when Daniel Harris and DJ Good combined to find Karl Culley on the blueline and his slapshot seemed to go straight through the keeper’s glove and into the net.
Whatever Coach Grubb said to his charges in the first interval seemed to do the trick as they returned to the ice in a far more determined frame of mind and three minutes into the session they found the net once more. A Bob Chalmers pass found Juraj Senko at left point and the bid Slovakian D-man unleashed a powerful slapshot that was redirected into the Warriors goal from close range by Struan Tonnar. Ninety seconds later Senko was once more the provider when he sped down the right wing, cut inside along the goal line and fed the perfect pass for Stevie Moore to fire home a first-time shot from the slot. With seven minutes remaining in the period Solway were on another powerplay and after a patient build-up Struan Tonnar and Bob Chalmers combined to set up Juraj Senko to score with a thunderbolt from the Whitley blueline. With a three goal cushion the Sharks continued to control the game through to the second intermission although neither keeper was to be seriously troubled.
The Warriors knew that every point would be vital in their efforts to reach next month’s play-off weekend and started the third period very much on the offensive gaining a powerplay after four minutes when Iain Bowie picked up his first penalty of the season for holding. Whitley played the puck around patiently but failed to pull the well organised Solway defence out of position and as the seconds ticked away disaster struck. Juraj Senko picked off a loose pass in his own defensive zone and immediately sent Stevie Moore clear on the left wing. As he cut inside towards the face-off circle Moore unleashed a shot that flashed past the Whitley keeper with so much power that the puck actually lodged in the net itself. To their credit the visitors didn’t let their heads drop and a second before the powerplay ended they were on the score sheet themselves when Callum Watson set up Daniel Good for a short range shot. Kieran Hobbins did well to make an initial block but he could do nothing to prevent Karl Culley netting the rebound from close range and just ninety seconds later the Warriors were on the scoresheet again when Martin Crammond fired home an unassisted goal.
With seven minutes left to play Whitley reduced the deficit to a solitary goal when Daniel Good netted from the slot after Hobbins had again made a good save from Richards in another goalmouth scramble. Coach Grubb immediately called a time out to settle his troops and once more whatever he said did the trick as on the ice Solway regained their composure and control of the game. Within two minutes they had the two goal cushion they desired when Bob Chalmers held of a Warriors challenge to feed Struan Tonnar who shot home from the low slot. A two plus ten minute penalty on Rob Wilson four minutes from time effectively killed off the visitors chance of stealing something from this game and the final nail in the coffin was driven home by Ross Murray from close range on the resultant powerplay. This was a match that the Sharks controlled comfortably for the majority of the time and fully deserved to win despite a third period scare.
Scoring statistics for Solway were as follows: Stevie Moore two goals and two assists, Struan Tonnar 2+1, Juraj Senko 1+2, Iain Bowie 1+1, Frazer Goldie and Ross Murray both 1+0, Robert Chalmers 0+3, Pavol Melichercik 0+2, Alan Crane 0+1. Kieran Hobbins in the Sharks goal saved nineteen of the twenty-four shots that he faced (save percentage 79.17%). The Signcraft Signs Man of the Match Awards went to Juraj Senko for the home side and to Richard Lawson for the visitors.
On Sunday the Solway Sharks, sponsored by Magnox Ltd. were on the road with a trip to North East rivals the Billingham Stars knowing that a point would be enough to claim their third league title in a row. In the end a very happy Reays Coach returned to Dumfries with the NIHL Moralee Conference League Championship in the bag courtesy of a four-nil victory from a near perfect road game.
The last thing that the Stars wanted was to see the Sharks win the league on Billingham ice. From the opening puck drop they took the game to Solway with a game plan that mixed strength and style as we have become accustomed to seeing from our closest rivals. However, Coach Grubb had his charges well drilled and the defence stood firm to the challenge with netminder Kieran Hobbins in inspired form whenever called into action. The forwards knew they had to play a two-way game, helping out their defence when called upon and breaking at speed when the opportunity arose. Ninety seconds into the game Hobbins produced the first save of his twenty-seven shot shutout when Bowman created space for himself and fired in a low shot that the Sharks keeper did well to smother at his post. While the Solway defence continued to restrict the home side’s scoring chances Paul Windridge came close to scoring with a crisp shot across the face of goal but again Hobbins had judged his angles perfectly and saved at his post once more.
But play was not all one way and Ross Murray, Iain Bowie and Pavol Melichercik all forced netminder Flavell into action with breakaway opportunities at the other end of the rink. Returning to the attack the Stars forced two more fine saves from Hobbins as Jack Davies and Scott Ward both fired shots on target that the Sharks stopper had to deal with. Games as tight as this can turn in the blink of an eye and with two minutes remaining in the session Bob Chalmers provided the spark of brilliance that set the Dumfries side on their way to victory. After determined play from young Connor Henderson and Struan Tonnar the puck fell to Chalmers in the left-hand face-off circle. A neat side-step, combined with deft stick-work, created a shooting lane for the former GB international and his superb snap shot sped over Flavell’s glove and into the roof of the Billingham goal. In the dying seconds of the first period the Stars might have leveled the scores when James Moss followed up his own rebound from the back boards with a low drive towards the near post but once more Hobbins position and reactions were up to the challenge as he dived to smothered the puck.
The home side started the second session brightly and Hobbins again had to be at his best to save a high drive from Pattison and a crisp low shot from Elder a minute later. The momentum, however, was gradually beginning to shift Solway’s way as they began to take a greater share of possession and territory and in the twenty-sixth minute they got their reward. A Frazer Goldie pass sent Melichercik around behind the Billingham goal where he showed tremendous poise to hold off several heavy challenges until Iain Bowie found space in the slot and when the pass eventually came his way he buried the puck in the Stars net. With tails wagging and fins breaking the ice the Sharks continued to take the game to their opponents and they duly went three goals ahead eighty seconds later. Collecting possession in his own “D” Alan Crane immediately turned defence into attack with a pass that sent Joe Coulter up the left wing. With the last Billingham defender committed the Solway youngster then showed his growing maturity with a superb reverse pass inside to the supporting Ross Murray who dispatched the puck with an authority that left Flavell grasping at thin air.
With the clock ticking towards the thirty-second minute mark James Wallace picked off a loose pass and quickly sent Struan Tonnar away along the right-hand boards. As the Sharks forward crossed the blueline and cut into the face-off circle he looked up, picked his spot and drilled his shot through Flavell’s defences and into the net. Billingham tried to rally and Hobbins had to be at his best once more to make a superb double save from Wallace and Bowman as the second interval approached.
In the final session Solway, with a four goal advantage, generally controlled play, although possession and territory were fairly even overall. The home side did make a concerted effort early on to pull themselves back into the game but one more they found Hobbins fully able to deal with the challenges they posed. Once more a superb double save from the Sharks back-up stopper in a goalmouth scramble proved key to what was to follow. In truth every save that Hobbins made were saves that you would expect a top class netminder to make but many of them came at crucial times where a goal may have given the opposition the confidence they required to change the course of the game. As the final seconds counted down on the clock the Solway bench (and their supporters in the crowd) went wild, leading scenes of wild jubilations on the ice as Hobbins was mobbed by his team mates at the final hooter. Mention should also be made here of the tremendous sporting ovation that was given to the Sharks by the Billingham players and supporters. It was a show of excellent sportsmanship that we have come to expect from our title rivals over the years but was very much appreciated by the Solway players and supporters.
Scoring statistics for the Sharks were as follows: Struan Tonnar one goal and one assist, Bob Chalmers, Iain Bowie and Ross Murray all 1+0, James Wallace, Alan Crane, Frazer Goldie, Connor Henderson, Pavol Melichercik and Stevie Moore all 0+1. Kieran Hobbins Mark McGill in the Solway goal saved all twenty-seven shots that he faced (save percentage 100%) and was named the Sharks Man of the Match.
