Additional Comments:

Both teams scored two Short-Handed goals during this match, but Ari’s goal at 36:50 (Lions’ 6th of the game) was actually a double short-handed effort.

Defenceman John Heneghan got on this match’s scoresheet with a Power Play goal at 31:44 (assisted by Janne Lehti and Chris Leggatt).

The Aces’ P Bayliss got 2-mins for Hooking at 30:49 but he kicked up such a fuss he also got awarded 10-mins for abusing the official! This Bayliss was the brother of Lions’ Gary Bayliss. The match programme of 1st March 1986 reported that Gary thought his brother cost Altrincham the game as he was playing well until he sat out for the 10 minutes which saw the Lions pull back from 2-5 to 7-5!

Here’s what Ronnie Cee had to say in the match programme of 1st March 1986 about this match…

“Boy, we sure lived up to our Team Heinz tag last week (always in the catch-up situation). I must say I felt quite down after a first period of almost total dominance by the Aces, and even when we scored almost straight away in the second period Altrincham looked in total command and were cruising at 5-2.

“But yet again we saved our skins with a catalogue of quite remarkable goals (eat your heart out David Coleman), Erskine Douglas’ goal probably the most outstanding. John Dunford had another great night between the pipes but could do absolutely nothing about the power of our Flying Finns. Janne was a tower of strength in defence, apart from blasting 3 goals from the blue line. Ari also smashed 2 of his 4 from even further out, one from right next to the announcer’s box! Overall it was a good performance, but I’ll just forget that first period!”