BLACKBURN HAWKS 4-2 BILLINGHAM STARS 24/11/13

Old rivalries were renewed on Sunday evening, as the Hawks welcomed a strong Billingham side and their sizeable following to the Blackburn Arena. Lying second in the league table, the visitors were looking to secure the two points, to keep pace with the high-flying Solway Sharks. In the crowd, along with the 'side-lined' Ivo Dimintrijevs, was the new Canadian signing, Jon Adams, who, having yet to receive clearance to play, was taking his first look at his team-mates in action. The other recent recruit, Tom King, was able to ice, however, bringing a formidable presence to the Blackburn ranks.

The first period got off to a contentious start within the opening 2 minutes, as Billingham's Martyn Davies took a blow to the body, and lay prone in his defensive zone. The referee allowed play to continue, and Blackburn's Aaron Davies spotted Rick Ravey in space, in centre ice. His accurate pass gave the 'utility' man a free run on goal, and his classy finish was too good for James Flavell in the Stars net. After a brief consultation, the officials allowed the goal to stand - much to the visitor's consternation. Matt Viney was the next Hawks player to test Flavell, followed by a breath-taking 'solo' effort from Adam Brittle. He skated the length of the ice, but was denied by the Stars netminder, as he tried to slot the puck beneath his pads. On 9 minutes, Viney was called for slashing - giving Billingham the first powerplay of the evening. Danny 'Dangy' Brittle in the Blackburn net, was called into action on several occasions, but his defensive unit worked tirelessly to restrict the forwards to shots from long range. With the Hawks back to full-strength, David Miekle had a great chance to score, when 'open' in front of goal, but chose to shoot low, and Flavell was able to deflect the puck wide. Both teams were industrious in their play, but neither could fashion any clear-cut opportunities, and the period ended with the home side holding a slender 1-goal lead.

The second 20 saw an early infringement against Paul Windridge, who was unluckily called for tripping, and the Hawks were given a man advantage for 2-minutes. However, their only shot on goal was a slapshot from Danny Mackriel, which Flavell saved comfortably. With both teams back at full-strength, a rare lapse of concentration from Ollie Lomax saw him give away possession in his own defensive zone, and he had little alternative but to commit a 'roughing' call on Bowman. Once again, however, the Hawks defence rose to the challenge of killing the penalty - continually turning the opposing forwards on their heels, to retreive the dumped puck. At the half-way point of the game, the home fans were celebrating a second goal, courtesy of Rick Hughes. The 'industrious' Viney was tenacious in his efforts to win the puck on the left, and having done so, beat three opposing players on his way to the net. Rather than taking a shot himself, however, he then unselfishly passed to Hughes in front of goal, and he finished with ease. Within a minute, the lead was cut as the Stars finally beat Dangy . Davison was allowed to skate down the wing, without being challenged, and his pass found the stick of Jack Davies, who's first-time flick squeezed in at the near post. A mix-up by the Hawks bench saw them penalised for 'too many men', and they were punished when a Ritchie Thornton slapshot through a crowd of players, beat the unsighted Brittle. At 2-2, the game was once again in the balance, and the physicality of the match increased considerably, with both sets of players finishing their checks. 

The final period saw the visitors come out on the offensive, with Bowman firing a stinging slapshot at Danny Brittle, which he handled competently. Then, on 42 minutes, Blackburn re-gained the lead, as Davies dumped the puck into a corner, for King to chase. He took possession, and passed to Jared Owen, who cut into the centre, and fired an accurate shot beyond Flavell, just inside the post. Rather than sitting on their one-goal lead, the Hawks continued to push forward, with Chris Arnone twice coming close, with trademark 'blue-liners'. A 2-on-1 breakaway by the Stars had Lomax back-pedalling, but he did well to diffuse the danger, although Viney was called for a high-sticks infringement. With only 6 minutes remaining, the home side finally got their rewards, as Viney once more worked hard in the corner, before feeding Adam Brittle in space. He played the puck across the front of goal, to the waiting Miekle, and he finished coolly, to secure the win. The Hawks then ran down the clock without too many concerns, and the final hooter was greeted with a rousing cheer from the fans.

MVP went to Danny Brittle.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 2-2 MANCHESTER MINOTAURS 10/11/13

Sunday was 'derby' day at the Blackburn Arena, as the Hawks welcomed their fiercest rivals, the Manchester Minotaurs. In recent times, these games had always been competitive affairs, and the latest encounter was to prove just as closely fought.

Danny Brittle was the starting netminder for the home side, with the visitors icing GB ladies goalie, Nicole Jackson.

The first period started with the Hawks straight onto the offensive, with both Dan Mackriel and David Miekle testing Jackson with goal-bound efforts, which she was more than equal to. Miekle then had the next opportunity, breaking out of his defensive zone, but he was unfortunate to see his shot deflect off the near post. However, the Manchester outfit always looked dangerous on the break, with Zeman pulling the strings. On 9 minutes, Brittle was called into action - pulling out a fine 'kick'save to deny Wigglesworth. Reece Cairney-Witter took a 2+2 penalty, for slashing and roughing, respectively, when he took exception to some 'underhand' play from Wigglesworth, but a disciplined defensive display from the Hawks restricted the Minotaurs to long-range shots. With 8 seconds remaining of the penalty kill, Miekle broke free, and, having beaten the same defenceman twice, slid the puck beneath Jackson. This ignited a 6-man brawl, with two roughing calls handed out, one to each team. The celebrations for Blackburn quickly evaporated, however, when the officials chalked off the goal - deeming the forward to have slashed the goalkeeper, marginally before he had scored. Mackriel was handed a 10-minute misconduct penalty, so he joined Miekle in the rather crowded penalty box - resulting in a 5-on-3 for several seconds. As Cairney-Witter rejoined the game, he accompanied Adam Brittle on a breakaway, but as he positioned himself at the far post, he mis-timed his shot.

The second 20 minutes once again began with the Hawks on the front foot, with the irrepressible Miekle firing a stinging slapshot at Jackson. The opening goal of the game duly arrived in the 22nd minute, and it was the visitors who scored - Murray finishing off a good passing move around the net, firing home off the pipe. This stung the home side into action, and they began to increase the pressure on their opponents, with Adam Brittle producing some fine individual skill, to create space on the left. He shot to the far post, but with the goalie well-beaten, the puck found the metalwork, and flew to safety. Matt Viney took a penalty for slashing, and in the ensuing power-play, Manchester doubled their lead. A strong wrist-shot by Dickinson beat an unsighted Brittle in the Hawks net, and went in off the underside of the bar. Blackburn needed a touch of inspiration to get a foot-hold back in the game, and this came at the half-way point of the match. Aaron Davies took possession, wide on the right, and placed a pin-point pass onto the stick of Mackriel, who angled his shot beyond the static keeper, to halve the arrears. Ollie Lomax received a harsh roughing call, but when Viney forced his way beyond the last defenceman, ex-Blackburn player, Max Drakeley, had little option but to take an interference penalty - resulting in 4-on-4. The match then entered a rather scrappy phase for the remainder of the period, with chances for either team at a premium.

The early stages of the final period were dominated by the Hawks forwards, with the visitors happy to play a containing game, and threaten on the break. For long periods, the home side were encamped in the offensive zone, testing Jackson regularly. Scott Robson and Chris Arnone both had slapshots well saved by the impressive netminder, and Adam Brittle had a great chance to level the scores, but was thwarted. On a rare breakout by Manchester, the forward got away from the defence, and Rick Hughes was forced to bring him down, taking a 2 minute penalty. Cairney-Witter then compounded the issue, by unleashing a series of blows in the direction of Drakeley, and then headed straight to the locker-room - leaving the Hawks facing a 5-on-3. The Blackburn defence stood firm, and managed to kill off both penalties, before gaining a man-advantage, when Nurse flattened Arnone against the boards. With 1:28 left on the clock, Jared Owen decided to pull the goalie - giving the Hawks a two-man powerplay. The powerplay unit looked to be in total control as they moved the puck around the Minotaurs net with unerring accuracy, dragging the defenders out of position. Then, with only 35 seconds left, their patience was rewarded, as a mad scramble in front of the Manchester net saw Davies poke the puck over the line, to start wild celebrations both on and off the ice. The final hooter sounded with the scores tied at 2-2 - a fair result in the end, with neither team deserving to lose.

The MVP was awarded to Danny Brittle.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 16-1 TELFORD TITANS 03/11/13

It was 'goals galore' at the Arena on Sunday evening, as a rampant Hawks outfit put the visiting Telford Titans to the sword. On the back of two successive League defeats, it was imperative that Blackburn returned to winning ways, and they did so in style - treating their fans to an exhilarating display of hockey. A near full-strength roster, with only Jared Owen and Ivo Dimitrijevs unavailable, took to the ice, in front of a sizeable home crowd.

Within 3 minutes, the Hawks opened their account, thanks to a fine finish from Sam Dunford. Rick Ravey took possession of the puck in centre-ice, and laid it off to the on-rushing forward, who's strong wrist-shot went beneath Barlow, the Titans keeper. The watching fans didn't need to wait very long for goal number 2, this time David Miekle robbing the defenceman, and laying it off to Adam Brittle. He then moved into space in front of the net, and took the return pass - touching the puck neatly into the corner. With only 9 minutes gone, the match was over as a contest, when Aaron Davies and Matt Viney brought a superb double-save out of Barlow. Unfortunately for the over-worked goalkeeper, the puck fell loose and Rick Hughes was on-hand, to lift his shot into the roof of the net from in-close. However, it wasn't all one-way traffic, and Blackburn's 'back-up' goalie, Stuart Ashton, was called into action on several occasions, as Telford looked to counter-attack. The 'ever-dangerous' Karel Jets was at the centre of most of the visitors forays forward, but the young net-minder, ably assisted by a competent defensive unit, restricted them to nothing more than half-chances. Chris Arnone, who had just served a two-game ban, was keen to make amends, and during a sustained period of pressure on the powerplay, struck a ferocious slapshot which clipped off the post. A second 5-on-4 opportunity saw the arrival of Blackburn's 4th goal - Davies forcing the puck home, for his first of the evening. Ryan Stanton attempted to impose his physicality on the game, as the period drew to a close, but when Reece Cairney-Whitter pointed out that 'centre-ice was available, if he would like to dance' he sheepishly declined - much to the home-defenceman's disappointment.

The 2nd period started with the Hawks short-handed, but that did not deter Ollie Lomax from driving forward on a solo run. He received an elbow to the side of his helmet, for his trouble, and this was compounded when he lost his balance, and landed in the opposing net - the referee deeming it to be goalkeeper interference. The two-minute penalty saw the Titans with a 5-on-3, and Jets beat Ashton, to reduce arrears to only 3. This was as good as it got for the visitors, as Blackburn took the game by the scruff of the neck - scoring a dozen times, without reply. Four goals in as many minutes, from Brittle, Miekle, Lomax, and Viney, stretched the lead to 8-1, whereupon they then took their foot off the gas, somewhat. Cairney-Whitter was being given plenty of time on the ice, but two indiscretions for interference saw him take a seat in the penalty box. On 35 minutes, a coming-together between Ravey and Gordon culminated in both players taking off their helmets and gloves, but the officials were able to intervene before any punches were thrown.

The visitors almost notched their second of the evening, when Hughes deflected a pass towards his own net, but Ashton was alert, and spared the forward's blushes. By the 44th minute, the Hawks had reached double-figures, thanks to two quick-fire goals from Davies - the latter a particularly impressive finish into the top corner, which secured his hat-trick. From then until the end of the game, the hosts attacked almost at will, moving the puck around the ice with pace - leaving the demoralised Telford players chasing shadows. Miekle linked up with Brittle to score the 11th Hawks goal - a neat finish into the bottom corner, and a minute later, Davies made it a round dozen. Ex-Telford player, Danny Mackriel, finally got himself onto the scoresheet, when he reacted quickly to follow-up on his first shot, and the fans had barely re-taken their seats, when they were on their feet once again, thanks to Hughes. He then completed his hat-trick when Viney skated strongly into the opposing zone, and presented him with the easiest of tap-ins, before Brittle rounded off the blitz with a nice shot into the roof of the net.

The MVP was awarded to Rick Ravey. 

BLACKBURN HAWKS 3-6 SUTTON STING 26/10/13

It was a battle of two 'potential' contenders of the League title on Saturday evening, as the Hawks welcomed Sutton to the Arena. Both sides were missing several key players, but those absent from the Blackburn bench were especially noticeable. The likes of defencemen Chris Arnone, Rick Ravey, and Scott Robson, along with the strong-skating trio of Ivo Dimitrijevs, Sam Dunford, and Jordan Ashington, meant that the home side were only able to ice two full lines.

The first period  started at a furious pace, with the Hawks straight onto the offensive. Aaron Davies tested Zimozdra in the Sting net, and this was quickly followed by a 'bullet' from Adam Brittle, which brought the best out of the visiting keeper. Not to be outdone, however, Sutton then went straight up to the other end with a 3-on-1 rush, but Danny Brittle produced a solid save. Ollie Lomax set off on one of his trademark 'mazy' runs from his own zone, and found the stick of Davies, but his shot fizzed over the bar. Miles Dacres and Danny Mackriel also had good chances, in what was a frenetic opening 10 minutes, but the closest that the home side came to a goal, was a ferocious Craig Rogers slapshot, which pinged off the upright. The game continued to ebb and flow throughout, thanks to some 'sensible' officiating, as both sides took it in turns to attack, but the netminders were on top form, to keep the scores even, going into the break.

The second 20 minutes was still in it's infancy, when the first goal of the evening arrived. Davies did well to rescue a loose puck, as it was heading out of the offensive zone, and found Mackriel. His initial shot was saved, but Brittle was on-hand to fire in the rebound. The lead was only to last for 3 minutes, however, as Sutton drew level, thanks to some good passing around the net - drawing the defence out of position, and a neat finish at the far post. The game was more reminiscent of a tennis rally, as the puck zipped up and down the ice, but it wasn't long before it was nestled in the back of the Sting net, once again. Brittle got his second of the match, seizing on a deflected shot from David Miekle, which Zimozdra couldn't hold on to. With the clock just passing the halfway mark, parity was restored for a second time - a 2-on-1 break allowing Oliver time in front of the Hawks goal, and he made no mistake, with a classy finish into the top corner. With the end of the period looming, Mackriel tried his luck from wide on the right, and was unfortunate to strike the post, and bounce back into play.

2-2, and all to play for, as the game entered it's final period. However, an agonising couple of minutes saw the visitors register twice in quick succession - both of which the Blackburn goalkeeper would normally have dealt with, with ease. This prompted a time-out for the Hawks, but to no avail, as within a minute, the Sting got their 5th of the evening. The lack of bodies was beginning to show, but the home side refused to give up - continually pouring forward, searching for a way back into the tie. With 8 minutes remaining, the deficit was reduced to just two, when Jared Owen put a pin-point pass across the goal, right onto the waiting stick of Rick Hughes, and he fired home. With nothing to lose, the hosts pushed forward relentlessly, but were cruelly undone by a breakout by Ashton, and the Sting player made no mistake. This ended the scoring for the evening, as the visitors ran out deserving winners. It was a highly enjoyable match, played in a great spirit by both teams - indicated by the fact that there wasn't a single penalty called all evening.

MVP went to Craig Rogers.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 1-2 SOLWAY SHARKS 20/10/13

The Hawks faced their toughest test of the season on Sunday evening, as they welcomed the reigning League Champions, the Solway Sharks. It promised to be a mouth-watering encounter, and a crowd in excess of 900 fans packed themselves into The Arena. An electrical fault with the scoreboard resulted in the 'off-ice' team having little option but to keep the crowd informed of times, penalties, etc, by announcing them at breaks in play - a job they performed admirably, throughout the match.

The first period began at an electrifying pace, with the home side straight onto the offensive. Dan Mackriel tested McGill, the Sharks keeper, within the opening 15 seconds, but his shot flew straight into the netminder's chest. This was quickly followed by wrist-shots from David Miekle and Chris Arnone, as the Hawks searched for an early breakthrough. Indeed, the opening 10 minutes saw the visitors struggle to contain the marauding Blackburn forwards, ably led by the industrious Adam Brittle, On 6 minutes, Solway lost a man to the penalty box, as Wallace was called for hooking, but even though they created several openings, the Hawks could not find a way past the over-worked McGill. Two penalties in quick succession (Arnone and Scott Robson) saw the Sharks with a 5-on-3 powerplay, and they took full-advantage. A shot from the blue-line deflected off the backboard, and Steven Moore was on-hand by the side of the net, to tuck the puck beyond the Blackburn goalminder, Danny Brittle. Slashing penalties against both teams saw a 4-on-3 powerplay for the visitors, but strong, disciplined, defensive work nullified the best efforts of the Scottish outfit. With the period entering it's final couple of minutes, Goldie threw a punch at Aaron Davies, which sparked a 'mini' grappling session - although the referee deemed the discretions to be worthy of mis-conduct penalties for both wrestlers. Arnone also received a 10 minute penalty, for speaking out-of-turn. However, it was the home side who benefited, as they drew level, thanks to Rick Hughes. He and Miekle broke out of defence, and after a scramble in the visitor's goalmouth, was able to force the puck over the line.

The second twenty minutes once again saw the Hawks start brightly, with Owen and Hughes combining well. Ollie Lomax lost possession in the offensive zone, and with the whole ice pad at his mercy, the Solway forward looked to have an easy route to goal. However, the tigerish defenceman was determined to atone for his error, and chased down the Shark player - hooking him as he was about to shoot. Tonnar pinged a shot off the pipes, but this was as close as the Scots came to regaining the lead during the powerplay. The game was becoming stretched, and flowed from end to end, although the 40 minute mark arrived, with the scores locked at 1-1.

With many fans still returning to their seats, the defining moment of the match came, with only 7 seconds of the third period elapsed. Solway won the opening face-off, and moved the puck out to the left, where it was controlled by Senko. He moved forward, and fired an innocuous wrist shot towards Brittle's goal. The netminder barely moved, as he lost sight of the puck, and it sailed agonisingly past his glove - just inside the far post. This stunned the home side, and it's followers, but not for long, as they came roaring back at their opponents. They increased the tempo 'markedly', and Jared Owen led the way, with a fierce 'one-timer'. Adam Brittle then re-directed a cross from Davies, which brought a magnificent reflex save from McGill, and the puck flew just wide of the post. Sam Dunford was unlucky to see his effort well saved, but the best chance of the game fell to Hughes, who, with only 8 minutes remaining, found himself with the entire net at his mercy. The crowd was on it's collective feet, ready to celebrate a deserved equaliser, but inexplicably, the reliable forward put the puck on the wrong side of the pipe. Davies took out his frustration by crunching Mitchell into the boards, and the Shark was visibly shaken, as he made his way back to the bench. A Craig Rogers slapshot crashed off the plexi-glass behind McGill's goal, but that was as close as Blackburn came to getting back on level terms. The final talking point of the match was a high stick from Goldie, which caught Robson 'flush' in the face. To his credit, Mackriel 'stepped-in' to defend his team-mate, as Robson hit the ice - and the Solway defenceman was quite rightly ejected from the game. A final throw of the dice saw the Blackburn keeper 'pulled', but the clock ran down before an opening could be engineered.

The MVP award was given to Sam Dunford, who's energetic 'two-way' performance was a real highlight.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 2-1 BILLINGHAM STARS (CUP) 29/09/13

Old rivalries were renewed on Sunday evening, as the Hawks hosted the Stars, in the first Cup match of the season. Having recently secured their first ever trophy in the visitor's own Arena at the end of last season, the Hawks were only too aware that Billingham would be going 'all-out' to re-dress the balance. Both teams were missing players, but one noticeable addition to the opposing ranks was the return between the pipes of James Flavell. In the absence of no.1 goal-tender, Danny Brittle, Blackburn gave a start to Stuart Ashton, and he rose to the challenge admirably.

As usual, a large group of supporters had headed down from the North East, making for a great atmosphere as both teams took to the ice.

The first period began with Blackburn straight onto the offensive, and with only 3 minutes gone, Adam Brittle was the first to test the reflexes of Flavell, but his shot was well saved. Then, the marauding Miles Dacres used his silky skills to carry the puck around the back of the net, before picking out the approaching Aaron Davies in front of goal, but his first-time effort struck the Stars goalie in the chest, and rebounded to safety. However, the visitors always looked dangerous on the break, and responded by testing Ashton with a couple of long-range efforts, which the youngster dealt with comfortably. The speed of Dacres was causing problems for the Billingham defence, and he broke away down the left, before once again linking up with Davies. He, in turn, fed Brittle, but with only Flavell to beat, he mis-controlled the puck, and the chance went begging. The first penalty of the evening went to Davison, for obstruction, allowing the Hawks a two minute powerplay. However, the over-eagerness of the forwards saw them continually being caught offside, and they couldn't create any chances. A 'charging' penalty against Jared Owen gave Billingham a foot-hold in the game, but although they pressed, the Blackburn defence held firm. Ivo Dimitrijevs received a blow to the face, from an errant stick, and in the ensuing two minutes, the Stars goal was breached for the first time. Good passing around the net saw the Hawks work the puck out to the impressive Scott Robson, and although his fierce shot found the back of the net, the referee deemed there to have been players in the crease, and the goal was chalked off.

The second period started in dramatic style, when Bob Streetly took a puck straight in the face, and was forced off the ice. He received treatment whilst blood was removed from the pad, and was able to rejoin the game shortly after. On 25 minutes, the Stars bench was called for 'changing on the icing', and the Hawks took full advantage. Robson took control in the opposing zone, and found Danny Mackriel in-close, who was able to force the puck under Flavell, marginally before the whistle was blown. Minutes later, Rick Hughes was set free on the right, but as he was about to enter the Billingham zone, with only Flavell to beat, a full-length dive from a defenceman saw him robbed of possession. The physical aspect began to emerge, as both teams increased the intensity, with Davies smashing Moss into the boards. On 32 minutes, the visitors got back on level terms, when a speculative long-range shot from Bowman hit a skate, and deflected beyond the unfortunate Ashton, into the bottom corner of the goal. The game was in the balance, and everyone in the Arena knew that the next score could be pivotal. The Hawks fans turned up the volume - accompanied by the incessant pounding of the drum from the balcony, and the players responded on the ice. Chris Arnone combined well with Robson and Davies, but was denied by Flavell, then Brittle broke away, but he elected to shoot at goal, rather than feed the supporting Davies, who was free on the left.

At 1-1 going into the final period, the last 20 minutes was always going to be a nervous affair, and so it proved. Straight from the face-off, Davies forced the netminder into a fine glove-save, and then within a minute, Dimitrijevs produced a carbon-copy, with a similar outcome. The game was becoming more open, and both keepers were tested regularly, ably assisted by resolute defending. A Stars powerplay saw the Blackburn defence stretched to the maximum, but they worked tirelessly, denying the forwards any time, with Craig Rogers throwing his considerable frame in front of two slapshots. With only 3 minutes remaining, Arnone and Windridge took penalties for 'high sticks' and 'hooking', respectively, and it was during the following 4-on-4, that the real drama unfolded. Billingham pressed forward, and were unfortunate to see a shot ping off the post. The crowd heaved a universal sigh of relief as the puck was played forward, and were on their feet as Owen gained control on the left-hand side of goal. With Flavell prostate in his crease, the Blackburn Coach was able to guide the puck into the path of Rogers, and he made no mistake - sparking deafening scenes of celebration from the stands. In the final minute, the visitors pulled their netminder, pouring forward in search of an equaliser, and almost found it in the final few seconds. A shot was destined to creep just inside the near post, but an unbelievable reflex save by Ashton kept the Hawks ahead, and they saw out the remainder of the match, to secure the win.

Although there were several contenders for MVP, it was deservedly given to Stuart Ashton for his competent display between the pipes.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 6-0 SHEFFIELD SPARTANS 22/09/13

Hockey returned to Blackburn Arena on Sunday evening, as the Hawks looked to follow up their impressive opening day victory over bitter rivals, Manchester, with a 'Roses' clash against the unpredictable Sheffield Spartans. A crowd of over 700 fans welcomed the newly-crowned Play-off Champions onto the ice, eager to cast their eyes over the two new signings, who were making their home debuts. Scott Robson and Adam Brittle had been brought into the club from Hull Stingrays and Milton Keynes, respectively, along with the returning Rick Hughes, all of whom would add depth and experience to the Blackburn roster.

The first period began with the home side pressing for an early advantage, with Aaron Davies and Jared Owen both going close. The opening goal wasn't long in coming, and after 4 minutes, some intricate one-touch passing by Ashington, Robson, and Dimitrijevs saw the diminutive Latvian beat Stones in the Spartans net with a deft flick. This settled any nerves for the home side, and they began to dominate the match, adding a second with only 7 minutes on the clock. Danny Brittle (Dangy), in the Hawks goal, played a defence-splitting pass out to Hughes on the left wing, and he unleashed a powerful slap-shot across the netminder, just inside the far post. A series of petty 'minor' penalties saw both teams enjoy power-play opportunities, but clear-cut chances were at a premium. Several goalmouth skirmishes threatened to see tempers boil over, but the officials managed to keep control. Chris Arnone took exception to Ollie Barron, the opposing captain, for some under-hand play, but when he was asked 'to dance', was quick to seek solace on the visitor's bench. With the end of the period approaching, Harding 'roughed up' Hawks defenceman, Ollie Lomax, and during the ensuing power-play, Arnone fired home goal number 3.

The second 'twenty' began with another goal for Blackburn, this time Miles Dacres latching onto a long pass out of defence. He bore down on the keeper, and turned full-circle, before sliding the puck beyond the confused Stones. The game then became rather 'bitty', as penalties were taken at regular intervals by both teams, although neither could take full advantage. Dangy was a spectator for large portions of the period, but was still called into action on several occasions, most notably producing a fine kick-save to deny the Sheffield forwards. With Owen already sat in the penalty box for tripping, Lomax joined him with a 10 minute 'mis-conduct' call, and it was with only 30 seconds remaining, that the Hawks scored goal number 5. Davies was involved in a frantic scramble in the Spartans goal-mouth, and somehow managed to force the puck over the line, at the third attempt. 

The match was well and truly over as a meaningful contest, as the teams took to the ice for the final time. However, Blackburn were in no mood to allow the visitors to gain a foothold, and increased the tempo, as they went straight onto the offensive. Jordan Ashington was unlucky to see his 'tipped' effort ruled out for high-sticks, and this was closely followed by a stinging drive from Craig Rogers, which brought the best out of the Spartans netminder. Barron took out his frustration by firing a puck at Reece Cairney-Whitter, well after the whistle had been blown. He quickly realised the error of his ways, however, as the considerable frame of Whitter approached him at great speed, and he was forced to cover-up, as the youngster administered his own inimitable form of justice. With the Sheffield captain face-down on the ice, he felt the full weight of his assailant, who landed on top of him, and he suffered a suspected broken nose. The final goal of the evening came with only five minutes remaining, with the speedy Dacres producing some good work on the right wing. He crossed for Adam Brittle in front of the Sheffield net, and he kept his composure to fire past the hapless Stones.

The final hooter was greeted by a resounding cheer from the home fans, who had seen a competent display from their team. 

M.V.P was awarded to Adam Brittle.