The Invicta Dynamos extended their unbeaten run to nine games with a 3-3 draw against league leaders Chelmsford Chieftains on Sunday night.

After the two teams had served up a real post Christmas cracker in Essex on Saturday evening, with the Dynamos come away with an epic 8-6 victory, the game in Gillingham was set to be another tight affair and the fans weren’t to be disappointed.

With supporters flocking to the game in their numbers and the atmosphere incredible from the off, it was the home side that started the stronger.

Having to make do without number one netminder Damian King through injury, the Dynamos had James Richardson in goal and he was a bystander for much of the opening minutes as the home side went looking for the opening goal of the game.

It didn’t take long to come either as the Dynamos made full use of a powerplay to open the scoring on 3:11 with Adam Rehak firing home past Sonny Phillips from close range.

Just over two minutes later and it was 2-0 and again Chelmsford were made to pay for giving away a powerplay, with Rehak rounding off a well worked move involving Ashley Jackson and Callum Fowler.

It could have been more had it not been for Phillips who was called upon to deny Steve Osman moments later, whilst at the other end Richardson had to be on his guard to deny former Dynamo import Juraj Huska.

The first period came to an abrupt end with just 23 seconds left on the clock as a misdirected Liam Chong shot went through the glass at the back of the rink.

After the break, the two teams played those remaining seconds before getting back down to business and that second period will be one the Dynamos will be keen to forget.

With Nicky Lewis serving a two minute penalty incurred in the first period, Chelmsford pegged it back to 2-1 on 20:36 as Huska fired in at the back post after good work from Danny Hammond.

Huska was given far too much time and space to make it 2-2 on 28:35 as the Dynamos defence went missing once again.

The Mos had their chances at the other end, but either failed to find the target, or couldn’t find their way past Phillips and they were made to pay with 34 seconds remaining in the period as Huska and Hammond combined again, this time the latter seeing his shot evade Richardson’s dive.

With the home support right behind them going into the final period, the Dynamos came out of the traps firing and threw everything they had at Chelmsford. It didn’t look like it was going to be enough though, but the pressure finally paid off in the 56th minute as Osman’s shot was parried back into the path of Fowler who gleefully fired home from close range.

Those final four minutes saw both sides go for a winner, but it was to prove elusive and in the end a 3-3 draw was probably a fair result.

The three point weekend sees the Dynamos pull to within three points of Chelmsford at the top of the league with the Essex side still having a game in hand.

Crucially the Kent side are now seven points clear of London Raiders in third going into next weekend’s games with a trip to Solent on Saturday night before returning to Gillingham on Sunday to face local rivals Streatham.

The Dynamos will be without Ashley Jackson now for around six weeks and we caught up with him at the end of the game: