Nine fine for Telford Tigers – and boss Watkins a happy man

Doug Clarkson (3), Joe Hazeldine (2), Andy McKinney, Adam Taylor, Jack Watkins and Corey Goodison were all on the scoresheet in the Moralee Division League game

Watkins said: “We started a little slowly but grew into the game and ran out comfortable winners.

“I was very pleased with the performances from Charlie Hammerton and Matt Price.”

Tigers started badly with Luke Brittle opened the scoring for Solihull after he tapped home a rebound.

Tigers responded with a power play goal of their own just two minutes later. Adam Taylor broke into the Solihull zone and played a perfect pass to Doug Clarkson who placed the puck past Solihull netminder Dan Brittle. But Tigers conceded again just 15 seconds after their equaliser when they failed to clear the puck from their zone, allowing Luke Brittle to wrong foot Denis Bell in the Tigers’ goal, leaving Nikolas Ottosson an open goal to shoot into.

Tigers equalised in the 18th minute. Adam Taylor again finding the unmarked Doug Clarkson in the left circle whose powerful shot flew past Brittle. As the period entered the last 30 seconds, Clarkson passed across the goal to Joe Hazeldine who fired a superb wrist shot from a tight angle into the roof of the net to give Tigers a 3-2 lead.

Tigers dominated the second period and took the game away from Solihull. In the 24th minute, Andy McKinney showed terrific vision to send Taylor in on goal. Taylor shot into the top corner to extend Tigers’ lead to 4-2. Andy McKinney found Hazeldine unmarked at the far post and Hazeldine made no mistake with a precise wrist shot to give Tigers a 5-2 lead.

Tigers scored their third of the period and sixth of the game. Clarkson played a bank pass off the back boards behind the goal to McKinney who fired low into the bottom corner of the goal.

With another power play Tigers took full advantage and Hazeldine’s pass was hammered home by Clarkson. Tigers had an eighth goal, Corey Goodison shooting through the legs of Brittle. Tigers’ ninth goal came in the 54th minute with Clarkson and Matt Price combining to give Jack Watkins a tap-in before Solihull’s last consolation.