Whitley Warriors entertained the Sutton Sting on Sunday evening on home ice at Hillheads ice rink in Whitley Bay. Warriors were able to include skipper Jamie Tinsley and Dan Harris on their match day roster as both players had regained full fitness since the clubs last game against the Blackburn Hawks.
Warriors were without their senior goaltender though as Richie Lawson had to pull out of the match up with a knee injury on the morning of the game while veteran d man Paul Matthews was also unable to ice due to injury.
Sting grabbed the game’s opening goal 2 minutes into proceedings when Matt Jeffcock fired home past youngster Mark Turnbull in Warriors net. Whitley were able to level the game up 8 minutes later when Dean Holland lit the lamp with a powerful shot after he was set up by nicely by linemate Jamie Tinsley.
Warriors were not on level terms for long though as a penalty shot from Carl Ashton on 14 minutes saw Sutton regain the lead and Sting extended their advantage in the dying seconds of the opening period when the experienced John Ross found the back of the net with a precise finish.
The 2nd period of play saw no further goals from either side however Warriors went close with Callum Watson testing the reflexes of Sutton goalie Dmitri Zimzodra on a couple of occasions. It was Sutton who netted the games next goal though when Jamie Spurr fired home to make it 4-1 with 43 minutes on the clock.
Shortly afterwards Warriors Coach Simon Leach took the brave decision to withdraw netminder Mark Turnbull in favour of an extra outskater as Whitley looked to grab a goal and get back into the game. Warriors were able to place the Sting defence under a great deal of pressure however Whitley could just not find a way past Dmitri Zimzodra in the Sutton goal and with just over 10 minutes left in the contest Sting import Ivo Celar was able to break out of his own defensive zone and fire the puck into Warriors empty net to make it 5-1 to the visitors.
Warriors first penalty of the game came in the 51st minute when Rob Wilson was sent to the sin bin on a 2 minute hooking call. Wilson picked up a further 10 misconduct penalty as he was exiting the ice which saw Whitley’s number 23 play no further part in the game.
Celar picked up his 2nd goal of the match 2 minutes later when the Slovakian applied a cool finish after pleasing build up play from lively Jamie Spurr which saw the game end 6-1 in Sutton’s favour. Sting’s in from netminder Dmitri Zimzodra was deservedly chosen as Sutton’s man of the match while Warriors hard working forward Martin Crammond was selected as the home side’s top player during the encounter.
Warriors Points
Dean Holland 1+0, Jamie Tinsley 0+1
Sting Points
Ivo Celar 2+0, Jamie Spurr 1+1, Matt Jeffcock, John Ross and Carl Ashton 1+0, James Goodman 0+2, Shaun Ashton, Simon Offord and John Woolhouse 0+1
Penalty Minutes
Warriors – 12
Sting – 4
Shots on Goal
On Warriors (Mark Turnbull/Empty Net) – 30
On Sting (Dmitri Zimzodra) – 37
Officials
Referees – Emerson and Lydall
Warriors next game is on Sunday 22nd February when the Blackburn Hawks visit Hillheads in a NIHL North Division 1 match up. The game gets underway at the normal face off time of 5pm with doors due to open 30 minutes prior to the game getting underway.