Swindon Flames Match Reports

 

SASH LEAGUE RESULTS 30/09/07 

SWINDON FLAMES JUNIOR REDS 6 v SUTTON VIPERS 4 

In a repeat of their last SASH Junior “B” league fixture played on 16/09, Swindon Skater Hockey Club’s Junior development side “The Reds” faced-off against their rivals from Sutton Vipers at Farnborough Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Vipers came into the game determined to avenge the recent 6-4, surprise defeat inflicted by The Flames Junior Reds in what was a very closely fought and competitive match. With the points from their previous two league games being shared, Vipers having thrashed The Reds 14-0 at the beginning of the season; this last league meeting between the two was an opportunity for either team to grab the lion’s share of the points from their head-to-head encounters.

John Devine, The Reds coach/manager said before the match, “In our last game we caught the Vipers off guard - they expected to stroll to a big win as they did in March and by playing a fast paced game with short shifts and quick change-ups we managed to exploit their complacency and their short-handed bench. Today, however, I’m sure they’ll have learnt from their mistakes and we expect them to come out “all guns blazing” from the very first face off.”

As expected the Vipers attacked The Reds from the off but the Swindon side’s defence held firm and as the team began to settle they began to dominate until, against the run of play, the Vipers managed to snatch a goal. The Reds responded immediately by piling on the pressure but in attacking the Sutton teams goals they left themselves venerable to the counter-attack and Sutton successful struck twice more. In the last minute of the period The Reds were rewarded for their efforts with a goal from forward Jamie Baker and went into the period break 3-1 down. Lifted by the goal, The Reds went into the second half determined to pull back the deficit and in a blistering opening spell they levelled the game at 3-3 with goals from team captain, Colin Offler and Mike Weymouth. Again the Vipers managed to edge in front with a breakaway goal but The Reds stuck to their game plan and as the Vipers began to lose their composure the Swindon side, sensing a victory, upped the pace of the game and scored twice more through Jamie Baker, bringing his tally to two, and assistant captain Matthew Baxter. With The Reds 5-4 in front and the clock ticking down The Vipers, in a last ditch attempt to salvage a draw, pulled their netminder and added an extra forward only to concede a last second goal as Colin Offler fired the last shot of the game into the back of an empty net and sealed a 6-4 victory for the Reds.

After the game John Devine said “The team have improved beyond recognition over the course of the season and today’s performance showed a lot of resilience and character. It is a credit to the hard work put in by the players that, with a game in hand and only one point behind the Vipers, we are now on course for the best ever league finish by our Junior development side.

The Reds next face off against bottom of the league Oxford Cyclones on the 14/10/07 in their penultimate game of the 2007 season.