One game away from final

Fri 04, 2010 11:44

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Whitley Warriors are just one game away from a play-off final against Nottingham Lions, the side they pipped for the English National League title, after edging a five goal thriller at home to Sheffield Spartans at Hillheads last night.

However, the Warriors know they must gain a draw at least when they travel to Yorkshire next Saturday to progress, a point not lost on player/coach Simon Leach.

“We know exactly what is required of us on Saturday,” he said after last night’s 3-2 victory, “and we had good chances to win the game a lot more comfortably than we did.

“However, I would have been more disappointed if we weren’t creating chances,” he added, “sometimes the puck just doesn’t go in for you and that was the case for us tonight.

“Five on five we were very comfortable and didn’t look in any danger, but we had to kill a lot of penalties, which is very disappointing in a play-off game.

“Some of the penalties we took tonight were deserved, but others were hard to understand, especially at this stage of the season when games are more intense and you have some of the best sides in the league battling for a place in a final.

“But once again we have dug in and got a result out of game when everyone has had to work hard; and that just shows the kind of character we have in this dressing room when it’s need and that’s what won us the league title.”

Whitley pinned the Spartans in their own have at the start of the game and were quickly rewarded when Paul Windridge netted the opener in the 4th minute.

However, as they played off a series of penalties the visitors eventually took a chance and were level through Ritchie Oliver at 15.17, but leading scorer Adam Reynolds had restored the Warriors advantage before the first break.

More penalty trouble led to Sheffield equalising when Shaun Ashton drilled the puck past Whitley keeper James Flavell in the 32nd minute, but again the home side were quick to counter and it was DJ Good who scored what would prove to be the winning goal when he was quick to bounce on a rebound at 35.41.

“We did move the puck around well at times,” continued Leach, “and that’s what we must do in Sheffield on Saturday.

“I thought we created some good chances, but we need to shoot a little more in the next game than we did tonight.

But we’ve dug in deep, got a result and have given ourselves a good platform to go and finish the job down at their rink in what is now effectively a final; with the prize for the winners a place in the championship game,” he concluded.