SWINDON FLAMES MATCH REPORTS - 20/04/08

SWINDON FLAMES SENIORS 6 v KSF VIPERS 3 

Swindon Flames Senior team took to the rink this weekend at the Farnborough Leisure Centre looking to extend their unbeaten run and increase their lead at the top of the league table. Facing off against KSF Vipers who, going into the game, trailed The Flames by a single point the game was the toughest test yet faced by the Flames in this, their first season of competitive hockey. With the league’s pole position at stake the Vipers made it clear from the start that they intended to do everything within their power to win the game and snatch the top-spot away from the Flames by fielding a short handed bench of only their very best and most experienced players. The strategy appeared to pay dividends when within three minutes of the face-off the Vipers found the back of the net to give them a one goal lead and put the Flames behind for the first time in their short league history. The Flames immediately regrouped and, stung by conceding the early point, the Swindon side’s defence closed ranks and stubbornly resisted the Vipers repeated attacks and as they began to wrestle away the initiative from the Surrey based side the Flames began claw their way back into the game and exert their own pressure on the Vipers goalmouth. The Flames efforts were rewarded midway through the period when Flames Captain, Jim Grey, slotted the ball past the Vipers keeper to bring the sides level and began what was to be a frenetic ten minute spell of exciting end-to-end hockey as the evenly matched sides fought for dominance. With only twenty seconds left on the clock, the Vipers, with one eye on the safety of halftime, buckled under the pressure and Jim Grey’s blistering shot managed to beat the netminder to give the Flames a one goal advantage to take into the break.

Having edged out their opponents in the closing second of the first period the Flames returned to the rink determined not to lose the momentum and in a spectacular three- minute opening spell the Flames put the Viper to the sword with goals from Luke Swaby, Craig Davies and another from Grey to give the Swindon side a 4 goal lead.

The Vipers bravely tried to regain some of their lost ground but with the Flames now in complete control of the game they were continually on the back foot and a fourth goal from Swindon’s man of the match Jim Grey effectively ended the competition. Despite two late goals from the Vipers, one of which seemed to be dubiously awarded after the final whistle, the Flames defeated their closest league rivals 6-3 and  now find themselves top of the table by 3 points with their  unbeaten run intact.

Speaking after the game Flames senior manager, Nigel Davies, said, “ This was a great win for the team and they continue to surpass all expectations. Vipers gave us our toughest game yet and it’s a credit to the whole team and they way they all pulled together that we managed to take all the points. It’s still early in the season and I’m sure that there will be many more games as tough or tougher than this one but with the team spirit that is developing in the side I am sure that we can go from strength to strength”.