Tom Watkins demanding more fight from his ‘soft’ Telford Tigers

Making the long trip to Scotland to face Solway Sharks, Telford were hoping to finally break their duck after three defeats.

But a 9-3 loss on their travels sees Telford bottom of the NIHL National Division and left a frustrated Watkins concerned with his side’s lack of physicality and fight.

“We started the game well and killed two penalties in the first period and then had a foothold in the game,” he said.

“We ended the first period 0-0 and the message I gave to the team during the break was to win your battles, win your races and that it was the one-on-one situations we had to focus on during the rest of the game.

“From that point on I don’t think we won our individual head to heads, we didn’t out play the player opposite us, we played soft, gave no push back at all and had no aggression or physicality.

“Whatever the situation, first and foremost you have to compete, we have to show more desire to do the ugly things and play harder than the opposition to make a real difference.”

After a goalless first period, it took just two minutes of the second period for the hosts to score through Mason Alderson.

Two minutes later they doubled the lead when Liam Danskin scored.

Telford took advantage of a power play to score through Scott McKenzie, before Solway regained their two-goal lead shortly after when John Dunbar beat Brad Day.

Tigers hit back through Vladimir Luka, but Solway took control and added three more to add to Telford’s misery.

The visitors changed net minder with Day being replaced by Matty Bloor, but things did not improve in the third period either as Scott Henderson added a seventh goal for the Sharks.

Devon Skoleski pulled a consolation goal back for Telford, but the hosts turned the screw in the final minutes with Nolan Gardiner scoring twice to give Solway a thumping victory and send Tigers on the long journey home with another loss.