With play-off spots yet to be secured, the two League points on offer were vital for both teams. A win for the Hawks would further consolidate their position behind Solway, whilst the visitors knew that a victory could close the gap on the leading pack. This was evident as both sides lined up, with Blackburn's Chris Arnone and Rick Hughes prepared to play, even though they were carrying injuries. Aaron Davies, Tom King, and Chris Butler, however, did not ice, against what was a full-strength Whitley outfit. As usual, a large crowd flocked to the Arena, for what promised to be an enthralling encounter.
Any late-comers to the game may have missed the opening goal of the match, as the Hawks went ahead in the 1st minute. The silky stickwork of Adam Brittle saw him drive across the face of goal, then draw the Warriors netminder, Ritchie Lawson, out of his crease, before rounding him, and sliding the puck into an empty net. It was the perfect start for the home side, and settled the players as they looked to dominate their opponents. The Whitley goalkeeper knew he was in a game, as he kept out attempts from Dan Mackriel, David Miekle, and Jon Adams, but was powerless to stop the 'irrepressible', Jake Nurse getting on the scoresheet in the 9th minute. A pass out of defence saw Mackriel challenge for the puck on the offensive blue line, and with the defenceman's stick inexplicably snapping, he was able to find space on the right. He looked up, and picked out the fast-approaching Nurse, who's backhand finish proved too good for Lawson. It was far from one-way traffic, however, as the Warriors carved out plenty of chances of their own. A 'lofted' pass was mis-controlled by Rick Ravey, and allowed M.Good to race clear on the right, but the Hawks goalie, Danny 'Dangy' Brittle closed down his angles well, and the shot flew over the bar. With Reece Cairney-Witter sitting out a two-minute penalty, a scrambled 'powerplay' goal from in-close, by Harry Harley, saw Blackburn's lead halved, but this didn't seem to deter the Hawks, as they continued to pour forward. The closest they came was when Ollie Lomax saw an opportunity to push forward and test Lawson, but his long-range shot smacked the post. On 17 minutes, Lawson was beaten for the third time, as Nurse benefited from a pass from behind the net from Mackriel - seeming to scoop it over the flailing netminder.
As with the first period, the second started with another early goal for Blackburn. Brittle was proving to be a real 'handful' for the visitors, and with the referee making a 'delayed' penalty call, he was able to score at the second attempt. Lawson was getting very little protection from his defence, and had to be in inspired form to deny the rampant Hawks forwards. On the half hour, Whitley took advantage of a defensive lapse when Craig Rogers was isolated in his own zone, and Adam Reynolds beat Dangy comfortably. This was as good as it got for the visitors, though, as within two minutes, they went three behind again, courtesy of a powerplay goal from Scott Robson. Culley was penalised for tripping Lomax, and a good passing move around the offensive zone created space for Robson. He shot towards goal, and although Lawson made a routine save, he released his arms, letting the puck drop down, and over the line. A couple of slashing penalties against either team saw a 4-on-4, but when Lomax drew a four minute penalty on Watson, for tripping and cross-checking, the home side sensed the opportunity to put the match well out of reach. Within seconds, a shot from the blue line was tipped beyond Lawson, but contentiously 'chalked-off' for high sticks.
The final twenty minutes began with the Hawks still with a two-man advantage, and yet again they registered an early goal. Jared Owen gained possession on the right, and with plenty of time to select the right pass, found Brittle, who completed his 'hat-trick' with a wrist shot past the unsighted keeper. Frustration was clearly getting to the Warriors, as they continued to take minor penalties, allowing Blackburn to maintain a stronghold on the game. Arnone went on an exhilarating 'coast to coast' dribble, and shot towards the top corner. However, the netminder threw up a glove, producing a classy save for the cameras. With 5 minutes to go, Brittle rounded off the scoring when he drove past a static defender, and slid a pin-point shot into the bottom corner. With Whitley clearly a well beaten team, the Hawks took their foot off the gas, somewhat, and wound down the clock without too much concern.
Not surprisingly, the MVP went to Adam Brittle, for his 4-goal display.
Image courtesy of John Milton - www.togger.co.uk
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