'Soft penalties' cost Telford Tigers as winning run ends

The Tigers won a shootout at Solway Sharks on Saturday to extend their winning run, but came unstuck at home to Sheffield Steeldogs back in Shropshire 24 hours later.

Adam Harding and David Thomson were on target for the Tigers as they moved 2-1 ahead, but Sheffield levelled towards the end of the second period and then scored twice in the closing stages amid a series of controversial decisions.

Watkins said: “For two periods I think we managed the game very well, played solid defensively, moved the puck well and created a number of good chances that I would hope to be capitalising on at least two or three of those. 

"Heading into the third period level, I thought we in a good spot but we didn’t manage to generate any quality offence.

"I thought we were on the wrong end of some soft penalties. The call on Louie (Newell) for holding when he simply uses his body to protect the puck and in my opinion the calls on Jake (Price) and Danny (Rose) should have been evened out when they both end up in physical altercations with opposing players - but only one team are penalised! 

"Our penalty kill was good and limited their chances but it does take away energy from your offensive players when they have to kill for the fourth or fifth time a night.

"I felt we let those two points slip.”

Tigers started the game in perfect fashion with a goal in the opening minute of the contest.

Edgars Landsbergs forced the puck into the path of Adam Harding, who shot first time through Sheffield netminder Martin Crowe to give the home side the lead.

Sheffield hit back 10 minutes later when a long-range shot from Jonathan Kirk was tipped past Brad Day by Ivan Bjorkly Nordstrom.

Tigers regained the lead six minutes later when Eric Henderson found David Thomason free in the slot, allowing Thomson to shoot in off the post past Crowe.

As he hit the shot to score, Thomson was cross-checked by Aidan Dancer. Jake Price took exception to this and cross-checked Dancer, which drew Jack Brammer into the altercation and saw him punch Price, but bizarrely Price was the only player awarded a penalty. 

Referee James Ions is not the most popular official with the Tigers’ fans and he drew the ire of the home crowd several times during the game, including when Sheffield clearly had too many men on the ice. Despite the clear infraction, play was restarted at even strength.

Sheffield drew level with a power play goal after Louie Newell was harshly called for holding. Walker Sommer sent a shot in on goal, which Jonathan Phillips tipped past Day to equalise.

The third period continued in a similar vein with more puzzling calls going against the Tigers. Thomson was called for a very rarely called penalty for illegal equipment and Danny Rose was called for roughing, meaning Tigers had conceded five penalties to none for Sheffield.

Eventually Telford ran out of steam after a tiring weekend, allowing Nordstrom a breakaway goal and with Tigers pulling Brad Day for the last 90 seconds of the game, Sam Tremblay scored an empty net goal to end Telford’s winning run.