Tom Watkins rues Telford Tigers’ failure to seize the initiative
Struggling Telford Tigers’s woes worsened on Saturday as a late flurry saw Swindon Wildcats pull clear for an 8-3 victory.
Tigers were once again punished for a slow start and found themselves 2-0 down early on.
Tom Watkins’ visitors did pull the score back to 2-1 and then 3-2 on Saturday at the Link Centre against the side they have so often battled for top spot in recent years.
But Telford’s miserable campaign has seen them slip to eighth in the NIHL National League and a battle with Basingstoke and Bristol for a final playoff spot.
Head coach Watkins said: “For 50 minutes or thereabouts we played a really solid game and got back to 3-2 and at that point you think we’ve got the momentum in our favour.
“The third period had been all us to that point. But on the next shift we concede so it’s back to a two goal deficit, then the next shift we have another goal against and before you can catch your breath we are out of the game.”
Tigers were without key duo Jonathan Weaver and Ricky Plant and fell behind just three minutes in as Russ Cowley converted.
The visitors worked hard to gain a foothold but Brodie Jesson was sent to the sin bin for a cross check and Swindon made the most of their power play as Tomas Malasinski beat Brad Day for 2-0.
Vladimir Luka struck from a Scott McKenzie pass for Tigers to take advantage of their own power play and pull a goal back after Edgars Bebris had been pulled for slashing.
Watkins was looking for his side to stand firm to see out the second period with a one-goal deficit at worst but the visitors conceded a simple third to Aaron Nell after slack defending.
Recent Telford recruit Rory Hermann continued his good form in front of goal to make it 3-2 from close range with McKenzie again the provider.
Tigers just could not level, though, and barely 60 seconds later Nell’s fierce shot from distance beat Day.
As head coach and general manager Watkins alluded to, the contest then got out of Telford’s reach as a Swindon counter-attack made it 5-2 with Bebris netting again.
Tigers collapsed defensively to go 7-2 down by shipping two goals in a minute for Nell’s hat-trick and Reed Sayers. Luka pulled one back for a consolation before Sayers completed the scoring.
