Grimsby Redwings 2 - 8 Manchester Phoenix ENL - Juniors

Grimsby Redwings 2 - 8 Manchester Phoenix ENL

Sunday, 27th January 2008

Played: Saturday 26 January, 2008

Grimsby is the Jeykll and Hyde team in this league. Away from home they can lose by a hatful of goals. At home, however, on their one-third size ice, they can be a completely different proposition - as teams heading the league (Newcastle, Nottingham and Blackburn) can attest. Phoenix knew they would have to be alert and on form to come away with the points. On the tiny pad there is never a moment to relax as shots can be slapped goalwards from absolutely anywhere on the ice. Usually teams take the first period to adjust to the conditions before playing to their capabilities. However, Phoenix settled within a couple of minutes, scored after five and a half minutes and, in reality, never looked like being headed for the remainder of the game. Stick-handling, passing, speed and few turn-overs, even in the tight space, made the Phoenix irresistible in this game.

Benn Schofield in the Phoenix net was called into early action before play swung towards the Grimsby defensive zone. Manchester’s defence was tested by two penalties within the first two or three minutes caused more by the lack of ice space than malice, which led to 60 seconds of 5 on 3 powerplay to Grimsby. Benn and the defence stood firm and the short-handed session was successfully killed off. Within five seconds of the resumption of even-handed play a face-off was won in the Phoenix end. Fast transition and a shot caused Holmes to freeze the puck. Mike Stockley won the draw pulling the puck to Tom King who beat Holmes from close range for the first Phoenix goal at 5.32. An Interference minor at 7.54 gave Phoenix their first power-play. Within eight seconds of the call, Danny Binns had neatly chipped into the Redwing net from Tom King’s pass to make it 2–0. Strangely, for such a tiny surface, the first icing call came after ten minutes coinciding with a second 2+10 call on the Phoenix which, after a previous 12-minute call, meant the team would be playing over five minutes with just two defence-men. Some tactical shuffling, very aware play and a notion that attack would be a better form of defence led to the Phoenix third goal: a dandy of a slap-shot from the blue-line by Jake Nurse with helpers from Danny Binns and Robyn Crebbin. Despite ending the period three goals to the good, shots were all but even: 15 on Manchester, 18 on Grimsby.

The first minute of the second period saw some frantic action around the Phoenix net. Benn Schofield being called upon to be particularly acrobatic to prevent a Redwings marker. Play moved back up the ice into the Grimsby zone and good work by Mike Stockley and Arran Richardson nearly resulted in Pete Norgate sliding the puck home. However, after 26 minutes Dave Costelloe was assessed an Interference penalty. Referee Litchfield did not accept the terminology of Dave’s explanation, Dave being assessed his second misconduct and ejection from the game. What could have been turning point for Grimsby seemed to have gone awry when they took two quick minor penalties. The Phoenix goal didn’t seem to have been under significant threat five-on-five, surely it would hold firm on power-play? Coming to the end of their short-handed period a rising blue-line slap-shot from the right point by Grimsby’s Luke Green, assisted by their man of the match Andy Jenkins, flew over Schofield’s right shoulder to make it 3–1 to the Phoenix. Despite Phoenix pressure and a differential in shots of 25 to 4, there was no further scoring before the end of the second period.

Manchester signalled their intent as soon as the third period began. After just 35 seconds skipper Brian Worrall thumped the puck passed the Grimsby keeper from a Binns’ pass. With one second left on a power-play resulting from another 2+10, Grimsby made it 4–2 as Jason Haigh planted the puck into the Phoenix net with assists to Luke Green and Mike Musson. This served to galvanise the Phoenix who began to pepper Holmes with shots from the centre-line onwards. Andy Ritchie assisted Arran “goal-machine” Richardson to find Holmes five-hole at 47.42. Phoenix Man on the Match, Jake Nurse, flipped a perfect back-hand over the blocker, from the blue-line after creating his own neutral-zone turn-over (48.50). At 49.16 a powerplay goal to Tom King helped by Danny Berry made it 2–7. Scoring ended at 53.40 when Andy Ritchie blasted home from the top of the right-hand circle following a pass from Brian Worrall. During the game, Phoenix placed 74 shots on Karl Holmes in the Redwings’ net, this appears to be a normal evening in the office for a leaky Redwing defence.

A strong performance from the Phoenix ENL against a team just under them in the league, but could proven to have been a banana skin of a game. A Phoenix ENL spokesperson commented, “Whilst, after going three goals up, we never looked like losing, as we can see, the Redwings team is capable of pulling back. However, strong positional play and fast adjustment to the conditions allowed us to come home with what turned out to be a comfortable win. We took encouragement from their team calling ‘heads up’ when we scored the second goal. Also, it was pleasing to see that scoring and assists were spread throughout the team.”

Man of the match for Phoenix: Jake Nurse

Period Scores: 0–3, 1–0, 1-5

Shots on Goal: (Shots on Phoenix first)

15–18, 4–25, 10–31 Total: 29 – 74

Phoenix Stats: Tom King 2+1, Jake Nurse 2+0, Danny Binns 1+2, Andy Ritchie 1+1, Brian Worrall 1+1, Arran Richardson 1+0, Danny Berry 0+1, Robyn Crebbin 0+1, Mike Stockley 0+1,

Nets: Benn Schofield 29/ 2 (93.10%)

Next Home Game: v Grimsby Redwings: Saturday, February 9: Face-off 5pm.

Grimsby Redwings 2 - 8 Manchester Phoenix ENL

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