Snow disrupts Telford Tigers, TNS and Llanelli

The snow may have disappeared but the Shropshire sporting programme isn't quite back to normal just yet.

Telford Tigers saw their English Premier Ice Hockey League clash at Peterborough Phantoms abandoned last night with just four minutes left on the clock after a fire alarm sparked an evacuation of the venue.

But it wasn't enough to save the Tigers who were trailing 6-1 at the end of the second period - the point a game must reach for the result to stand.

Meanwhile, fog in Oswestry meant The New Saints' home clash with Llanelli in the Welsh Premier was postponed for a third time last night.

And it was more woe for Llanelli who made a fruitless seven-hour round trip for the second time in a month, as the first attempt to play the fixture was also halted by fog.

This time, match official Mark Petch had little choice than to abandon plans to play the game around an hour before kick-off as he was unable to see all four corner flags.

It was the third time the game had been postponed after a second attempt to play was thwarted by bad travelling conditions in south Wales.

The no-go means that the Saints now trail leaders Bangor City by 16 points after the Citizens consolidated pole position with a 2-1 win over Prestatyn last night.

Llanelli, who have not played a Welsh Premier fixture since the end of October, now face a backlog of mammoth proportions with another 10 league games, the League Cup final against TNS and a Welsh Cup tie scheduled to be played by February 5.

By JAMES GARRISON