An Invicta Dynamos’ squad of just fourteen players slipped to an 8-3 road defeat in Wales on Saturday.

The Cardiff ENL Devils made use of their numerical advantage to boss their way to a commanding win in a feisty encounter.

In the opening frame it took the hosts just five minutes to tally the first as Jamie Hayes fired beyond Andy Moffat and they then doubled their edge soon after as Adam Harding notched on the breakaway whilst his side were shorthanded.

Canadian Justin Noble answered to keep the Dynamos in the hunt with a powerplay strike but his effort was cancelled out ahead of the buzzer when Hayes put away his second of the evening to make it 3-1.

In the second period the Devils then pulled three ahead as the in form Hayes placed the puck beyond Andy Moffat for a third time to complete his hat-trick before tempers then flared towards the close of the frame. The gloves came off as former Cardiff man Corey Watkins exchanged punches with former Dynamo Phil Manny before Grant Baxter also stood his ground for the visitors as he tackled Gareth Dixon. To calm the situation referee Griffiths ended the period prematurely with players then returning to the ice after an early break to close the second frame and immediately begin the last.

It was in the last that Jamie Hayes fired in his fourth of the night, and his side’s fifth, to give the hosts an insurmountable 5-1 lead and they were further clear with just ten minutes remaining when Adam Harding added another. Andy Smith’s reply saw the Dynamos make a minor indent into the deficit but Hayes would cancel out his strike with yet another composed finish beyond Andy Moffat.

With five minutes to play ‘import’ Ryan Ellis added his name to the list of scorers for the visitors but it was the unstoppable Hayes who had the final word on the night with his sixth of the evening condemning the Dynamos to an 8-3 road defeat.

So it was a second consecutive loss for the team who were always fighting an uphill battle as they went into the tie minus the injured Anthony Lennon and Michael Timms and the unavailable Zach Sullivan, Adam Copland and Tim Smith.

Despite the score line the work rate was high but a shortbenched Dynamos side were just unable to match the 22 man squad of the Devils.

Man of the match awards on the night went to the brilliant Jamie Hayes of Cardiff whilst stand-in ‘D-man’ Nicky Lewis secured the same for the visitors. The Dynamos would next be in action on Sunday as they made the short trip to nearby Bristol for their second road game of the weekend.

Picture supplied by David Trevallion