The Invicta Dynamos’ 100% record came to an end in their fourth outing of the 2011/12 season on Sunday as they were crushed 8-2 by the Chelmsford Chieftains on the road in Essex.
Travelling to face the current ENIHL South Playoff Champions the Dynamos were without defencemen Tim Smith and Adam Copland, as well as the suspended Grant Baxter, but they welcomed back blue liner Ryan Giles following his stint out of the game to recuperate from a serious road accident. The visitors were immediately under pressure though and had conceded within four minutes as player/coach Gary Clarke fired the Chieftains ahead whilst on the powerplay.
Midway through Czech forward Jakub Klima then doubled the home side’s lead and it was a three goal edge just moments later when the prolific Danny Hammond fired in to give Chelmsford a commanding advantage come the break.
In the second frame the play was then halted for a prolonged spell when match official Joy Tottman was struck high by a flying puck and left unable to continue but the game eventually restarted with Nick Stephenson remaining on the ice as a lone referee. Despite the stoppage the hosts maintained their momentum and three goals in under 40 seconds sealed the points with less than half of the tie played.
Jakub Klima’s powerplay strike made it 4-0 before Tom Long beat Andy Moffat to make it five and Chelmsford chief Gary Clarke added number six. Feisty Dynamos’ forward Richard Bentham was then dispatched from the clash with a game penalty after he sought an altercation with Alex Green and, on the powerplay, the Chieftains pushed further ahead as Danny Hammond doubled his tally to make it 7-0.
Despite the tie being all but over heading into the final frame, tempers then flared late on in the tie when netminder Andy Moffat poked Chelmsford’s Jakub Klima only to be on the receiving end of a blatant slash from the retaliating Czech. In the aftermath both sides came together with blue liner Ryan Giles jumping to the defence of his goalie, earning a match penalty in the process, and Klima taking the same punishment for his stick play.
When the action finally restarted the visitors then eventually broke their duck five minutes from the buzzer when Andy Smith fired beyond an in form Ben Clements having escaped on the breakaway. Having seen his shutout hopes denied the Chelmsford netminder was then beaten again moments later when Canadian Ryan Ellis drilled inside the post to cut the host’s lead to 7-2.
The Chieftains still had the final say on the night however when, approaching the final minute, Tom Long completed his brace to complete a resounding 8-2 home ice victory.
So it was an emphatic defeat for the Dynamos who saw their promising form of recent weeks come to a dramatic halt at their hands of one of their title rivals. The hosts were by far the more effective of the two sides and their visitors must now quickly mend their wounds ahead of the visit of current league champions – the Wightlink Raiders – to Gillingham on Sunday.
Man of the match awards on the night went to Andy Smith of the Dynamos whilst player/coach Gary Clarke took the honour for the dominant Chieftains.
Picture supplied by David Trevallion