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.
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