WIDNESWILD Missed opportunity as Dragons prevail
DEESIDE DRAGONS ....................... 3 WIDNES WILD ................................. 2
who had beat Altrincham the night before and were keen to finish their own season on a high. Relative league positions and recent form tend to count for nothing in local derby games such as this, and this was clearly evidenced in the game on Sunday.
Both teams adopted defensive positions – keen to give nothing away – and it took until the tenth minute for the first break through, when Dragons’ captain James Parsons fired the home side into the lead.
After a lot of back and forth and exciting hockey, Matt Tarpey put Widnes level with 34 seconds left in the period and the score remained 1-1 at the first break.
Deeside re-took the lead five minutes into the second period and Widnes responded with a fine strike from Tom Jackson just 60 seconds later. The game remained very close and no further scoring meant that it was all square at
2-2 at the second break.
After two fairly even periods in terms of possession and shots on goal, Widnes managed to up the pressure and outshot Deeside by 16-6 in the third period. Dragons’ net minder, Mike Rogers, who had previously played recreational hockey for the Widnes based Riverside Raiders, and who only started the season as back-up net minder to the injured Women’s GB netminder Samantha Bolwell, put in a superb performance at keeping them at bay.
The atmosphere around the North Wales rink was terrific with a sizeable away following having travelled along the M56 from Widnes to cheer the Wild on.
However, the next goal, when it finally came, was somewhat against the run of play and fell once again to the Dragons’ captain James Parsons to complete his hat-trick with less than five minutes left on the clock.
Try as they might, the Wild players valiantly attempted to push for a late equaliser but nothing came of this and the game ended in a 3-2 defeat.
The result sees the Wild remain in third place in the Laidler Division table with three games left to play.