Telford Tigers extend losing streak
Telford Tigers’ NIHL losing streak hit five games after they squandered a 5-1 lead to lose in overtime at home to Hull Seahawks.
Sunday night’s defeat capped a miserable weekend for Tigers, who had slipped to a 4-3 reverse away to Peterborough Phantoms the previous evening.
The hosts had looked set to end their winless run after a stunning first period saw goals from Vladimir Luka, Fin Howells, James Smith, Jason Silverthorn and Harry Ferguson put them 5-1 up.
But the Seahawks cut that deficit to one by the end of the second period and then struck in the final period to force overtime, where they netted again to seal a 6-5 success.
“At 5-1 we should be closing the game out with ease - the same last week (against Swindon), at 3-0 we should be able to shut the game down,” said Tigers head coach Tom Watkins.
"But with the defensive frailties this team has shown all season, sadly we showed the same old traits and fragility of a team that concede goals with ease, a team that don’t know how to defend/win, or what it takes to play with discipline for 60 minutes.
"We run around in our own zone, it looks like we are fighting a fire, reacting to situations after being caught puck watching and can’t manage the basics of defending, protect the net front with the very basic defensive strategy of not letting the opposition get between you and your own goal.
"We don’t learn, we show video, we highlight and practice in the defensive zone, but yet again the same against Peterborough on Saturday and the same Sunday. “The inability to continually outwork, out-skate the player opposite. We talk a great game, but so far this season it’s all talk.”
Tigers went into Sunday’s clash without David Thomson. Ross Connolly, Scott McKenzie, Joe Aston, Lucas Price and Devon Skoleski, but despite the short bench and missing such key players, the first period was one of the best by a Telford team in many seasons.
Luka set up Howells for the opening goal on five minutes, and less than a minute later their lead was doubled. Brad Day hit a pass from his goal crease which sent Smith clean through on goal and he beat Jordan McLaughlin with a wrist shot.
With Tigers on a power play, a momentary lapse by Day saw Hull pull a goal back when Dec Jones’ shot went in and out of his glove and dropped into the net.
Telford restored their two-goal lead immediately. Eric Henderson sent a pass across goal to the unmarked Luka, who shot into the open net.
Henderson then teed-up Jason Silverthorn to make it 4-1 and the home side weren’t finished yet as Ferguson added a fifth.
If the first period belonged to Telford, the second definitely belonged to the visitors who scored three goals, all on the power play and all from Bobby Chamberlain to make it 5-4.
Tigers’ lead lasted only a couple of minutes of the third period as Chamberlain scored his fourth goal to draw the sides level and take the game to overtime.
Hull completed the stunning comeback with a goal midway through the overtime period when Lee Bonner broke away to score and send the Tigers to a fifth consecutive defeat.
