Telford Tigers bounce back with crucial victory over Swindon Wildcats
Tom Watkins 'could not ask any more' of his Telford Tigers after they bounced back from a devastating defeat to edge out title-chasing Swindon Wildcats.
The Tigers' head coach had seen his side beaten 7-4 by play-off rivals Solway Sharks on Saturday night - cutting the gap between the two to just a point in the race for the top eight.
But eighth-placed Tigers re-established a three-point cushion thanks to a Sunday night win over Swindon at Telford Ice Rink, while ninth-placed Solway were going down 4-2 at Sheffield Steeldogs.
“That was one of those nights where you couldn’t ask any more of the team," said Watkins. "We came to play tonight - every player in the room set the tone, played hard every shift and played with real quality and smarts.
"An excellent first period where we moved our feet, moved the puck with low risk hockey and were able to play fast, turning a lot of pucks over on the forecheck.
"Despite the short bench, despite this being the fifth game in eight days, despite getting home at 3am this morning, we were able to sustain the level and the energy levels.
"A tremendous effort and a big result against one of the top teams in the league."
