Lee Valley Lions

Bracknell Hornets

Goals

Penalties

Lee Valley Lions

Solent & Gosport Sharks

Additional Comments:

Breaks when you don’t have a game can often work in your favour, but sometimes they don’t and today the Lions didn’t look themselves. Whether missing Romanas Fedotovas in defence was a crucial factor will become evident as his 3-game ban continues, but we looked very weak at the back. There was little backchecking and the number of odd man rushes was painful to watch as the forwards were not coming back to cover.

The writing looked on the cards from early on as Bracknell opened up the Lions’ defence. In the first minute a wrist shot came in from the point and a Hornets player tipped the puck at waist height, just past Stefan Nubert’s glove. The only early highlight from the Lions came as Andrzej Maslak put a cross-ice pass on the stick of Stas Prokofiev whose shot went straight at the Hornets’ netminder.

Just under nine minutes in, the Hornets’ Graham Bellamy hit a slapshot from the blue line, Nubert got a glove to the rocket and the Lions breathed a sigh of relief as the deflection pinged the crossbar. However, Bracknell then opened the scoring at 12:45, Ashley Skinns forcing the puck in as Nubert was left exposed at the far post with no defence cover.

Five minutes later the Hornets’ second goal was even easier. Nubert had made three good saves only to find himself with nobody on the far post and Lee Hardy had a simple tap in to score. Goal number three coming under sixty seconds later was a carbon copy of the second. With the Lee Valley defence on holiday Craig Tribe had another easy tap in. Shots on goal for the period told the tale…Lee Valley 5, Bracknell 16.

The second session was the Lions’ best as they won the period 1–0. Michael Jacobs scored a great goal – receiving a pass from Maslak, he lifted over the diving netminder, scoring top shelf. Lions’  offence is more effective, but the team failed to capitalise on a number of further opportunities.

Seven minutes in and Ben Williams lead a breakout and slotted the puck to Paul O’Neill whose shot went straight at their netminder, meanwhile at the back Stefan Nubert was continuing to make good saves as he foiled another two-on-one rush. As the session drew to a close Michael Jacobs had two attempts on goal, the goalie just saved one while the second zipped past the post. The Bracknell netminder was having a great period and did really well to keep the Lions out in two goal mouth scrambles. Nubert proved himself again, as at the death the Hornets’ Craig Tribe went coast to coast, leaving Lions players trailing in his wake, but Stefan was solid.

The third period belonged to Bracknell, scoring three unanswered goals before a late consolation from Scott Beeson. The first came just 42 seconds in as three Hornets players stormed the net. Marashi must have felt quite lonely as he was left all alone by the far post before celebrating a simple tap in. Five minutes later Nubert’s five hole was just a little too big as Marashi got his second. He was then caught cold-footed in the 54th minute as Webb completed the scoring for the visiting team. In between the first two goals a Lions’ advantage of one and a half minutes of five on three yielded only a couple of shots. Scott Beeson scored five hole late on to make the scoreline a little less painful.

Overall a very disappointing game as the visitors showed much more desire and passion to win the puck than a lack-lustre Lions side, whose work ethic outside the neutral zone was poor. With passes constantly going astray, backchecking almost non-existent and forwards unwilling to take on any defensive role, the scoreline and shots on goal statistics are a telling tale.

Referee was Szucs, Linesmen were Goebel and Meekison.

Many thanks to Tony Boot for writing this match report.