Additional Comments:

The Lions were looking for a boost to morale after losing their previous four games, albeit all to higher-placed teams in the league.   A visit from bottom-placed Slough would give them a chance to restore some much-needed confidence to the pride from Lee Valley.

With a big game in Chelmsford the following day the Lions chose to rest Andrew Boot and give U18 netminder Daniel Artis his first senior start. Joining him for his first game as a senior Lion was new defenceman, Sam Partington. This meant that there were 12 skaters available for Coach Smolenko to use, the best tally for a while.

Lee Valley thought that they had got off to a flying start when celebrating a goal in the first minute, but the goal light didn’t go on, and nothing was given. The opinion of the goal judge was that the puck had hit netminder William Sanderson’s body and did not cross the line.

However, it didn’t take long for the Lions to establish control, Nick Alley finding Stas Prokofiev who deked the Slough goalie to open the scoring. Within a minute, Nathan Higgins, in his second outing for his new team, was in the perfect position as Ashley Curtin came down the wing and put a centering pass right on his stick for him to tip home. Slough’s Sanderson, although giving up two goals, was making some good saves and keeping the Lions at bay. Before long the pressure yielded more strikes, as Michael Ranby made it three, followed by Ashley Curtin, who showed great puck-handling skills as he received a high pass from James Hatfull deep in the Lions zone and rounded the goalie. Two more goals from Gennadi Yufit and Michael Ranby capped the first session as Lee Valley went into the first break six goals up.

Lee Valley faced their first real test early in the second when they took two penalties in quick succession and had to defend a five-on-three situation for just under a minute. They passed that test and just as the second penalty expired, Man of the Match winner, Michael Ranby, made it 7–0 as he scored his hat-trick goal, picking up his own rebound and slotting a backhand shot home.

Both teams took penalties during this period but the Lions continued to dominate, further goals coming from Ruslanas Jegorovas and Michael Ranby taking the scoreline to 9–0. One of the best goals seen at Lea Bridge Road was next as Nick Alley skated down the left side, waiting for Gennadi Yufit to get in position by the goal. He then put a perfect pass onto his stick and all “G” had to do was make contact. Joe Berry had a shot ping off the metalwork before the final goal of the period fell again to Michael Ranby, his fifth on a delayed penalty call resulting in the Lions heading into the second break 11–0 up.

Lee Valley put another five goals past Slough in the third, Stas Prokofiev’s coming at 43:19. Slough finally got on the board with a lone strike from Antony Norman at 44:53 but the Lions answered with two powerplay goals, the first courtesy of on-fire Ranby (his sixth of the game), the second was Ashlee Cave’s first of the season. Gennadi Yufit hit the post and Nick Alley had a terrific slapshot from the blue line scream into the net, only to find that a Lions player had strayed offside a split second earlier, thus causing the referee to blow his whistle. Alley wasn’t to be outdone and a further shot from him hit home at 59:28.

Slough ran into heavy penalty trouble late in the period. First, Joe Weare received a 10-minute misconduct after getting a tripping call, then a fight between Lions’ Joe Berry and Slough’s Nick Ward saw them both get 2+2 for roughing. Weare continued to antagonise Berry from the penalty box and was given a game misconduct. His behaviour became more aggressive so he then received a match penalty for abuse of an official while in the penalty box.

With 8 seconds left in the match the Hawks’ netminder (who had no fewer than three separate penalties earlier in the game) was awarded a game misconduct penalty for abuse, as he shot the puck at the referee. With no back-up netminder Slough were forced to leave an empty net so James Hatfull rounded things off with a 16th goal at 59:57. Andrew Boot had replaced Artis for the final ten minutes in the Lions’ goal, but only faced three shots.

Those on Slough’s bench had already sloped off to the changing rooms and were swiftly followed by their colleagues as soon as the buzzer sounded. Chris Fox remained to collect his Man of the Match beers but no-one from his team had remained to congratulate him.

This game saw the Lions win by the largest margin since their reformation in 2005.

Referee was Fay and Linesmen were Ashraff and Salisbury.

Thanks to Tony Boot for writing this match report.