Metros: So near.....but no cigar
A Metros' spokesman said, "It was disappointing to not win at least two of these games. If you score five goals, in this division, then you stand an excellent chance of winning. We failed to do that twice and paid the price. We needed to beat Telford and looked good for much of the game. It seemed as though we had an excellent chance of the win but, once again, they came back and took the match. We've got to win all three of our remaining games to stand a chance of retaining our place in the league without having to go through the play-off games."
Sheffield Spartans 3 - 1 Trafford Metros
Trafford paid the price of rushed travelling after work/school through the heavy traffic for a 7pm face-off. Bus legs weighed heavily and contributed to losing a goal after just 45 seconds, then going two down less than seven minutes later. Despite fighting back and taking the game to second placed Sheffield they couldn't find their way passed the Spartans netminder until John Murray seized on a rebound with eight minutes left. Unfortunately, Sheffield had made it three nil a minute earlier than Murray's goal and the deficit proved a hill too steep for the Metros to climb.
Game Stats
Game played: Wednesday 24th February
Metros Man of the Match: Simon Mills
Shots on Goal (shots on Metros first): 40 - 27
Penalty minutes: Metros 26 Spartans 34.
Metros' stats: John Murray 1+0.
Nets: Declan Ryan (59.52 mins) 40/3 (92.50%)
Trafford Metros 7 - 3 Kingston Jets
Facing basement club, Kingston Jets, Trafford knew that they needed the points to stand a chance of escaping the relegation play-offs. Whilst the Jets with a win would still have a mathematical chance of escaping the automatic relegation spot, consequently there was more than pride at stake in this game. Although the Metros had much more of the game and were never headed the score at the end of the first period was two apiece (John Murray from Crebbin and Worrall at 12.07 and Jake Nurse from Hurley and Worrall at 18.20). The second period put the game beyond the Jets' reach; an extraordinary short-handed goal seemed to take all the wind out of the Jets' sails after just three minutes: A clearing lob down the ice into the corner was chased too far and mis-handled by the Jets' keeper, leaving a Kingston player chasing back towards his own goal hotly pursued, from deep in his own zone, by the speedy Jordan Bannon. Bannon's pressure forced the defender back towards his goal and resulted in the puck crossing into the still empty net. Lost causes are rarely lost completely! The score was only 3 -2, but the game was over. Further goals followed from Andy McKinney (assist Mills at 27.39) and Brian Worrall (assists Nurse and Murray at 33.26). Although the Jets scored four minutes into the third period, the game was over as a contest. Trafford added two more (Sean Day from King and Drakeley at 42.30 followed by Jamie Rogerson from Jenion and Hurley at 53.31) and left the ice having completed the first half of what they hoped would be a four point weekend.
Game Stats
Game Played: Saturday 27th February
Metros Man of the Match: Dan Berry
Shots on Goal (shots on Metros first): 26 (Ryan 18; MacDonald 8) - 54
Penalty minutes: Metros 26 Jets 10.
Metros' stats: Brian Worrall 1+2, John Murray 1+1, Jake Nurse 1+1, Tom Hurley 0+2, Jordan Bannon 1+0, Sean Day 1+0, Andy McKinney 1+0, Jamie Rogerson 1+0, Robyn Crebbin 0+1, Max Drakeley, 0+1, Tom King 0+1, Simon Mills 0+1, Ashton Jenion 0+1.
Nets: Declan Ryan (43.26 mins) 18/2 88.89% Tom MacDonald (16.34 mins):8/1: 87.50%.
Telford Titans 4 - 3 Trafford Metros
Trafford needed to win this game to overhaul the Titans and pull out of the relegation play-off zone. After 12 minutes all looked to be going to plan: They led by 3 -2 at the end of the first period (Jamie Rogerson from McKinney at 5.17, Andy McKinney from King at 7.22 (PP) and Kevin Cassidy from Day at 12.02) and looked as though they were of several more goals in the remainder of the game. However, their shooting deserted them even though they dominated the second period allowing the Titans to equalise towards the end of the period. They scored their winner after seven minutes of the third. Despite the vocal travelling Metros support, Telford had grittily clawed their way back to take the points.
Game Stats
Game played: Sunday 28th February
Metros Man of the Match: Declan Ryan
Shots on Goal (shots on Metros first): 27 - 41
Penalty minutes: Metros 40 Titans 36.
Metros' stats: Andy McKinney 1+1, Kevin Cassidy 1+0, Jamie Rogerson 1+0, Sean Day 0+1, Tom King 0+1.
Nets: Declan Ryan (59.36 mins) 27/4 85.19%
