A fantastic team performance, and a first goal for the club from blue liner Alastair Band, saw the Invicta Dynamos overcome the Romford Raiders on Sunday evening.

Additional efforts from Andy Smith (2) and Ryan Ellis secured the two ENIHL South Division 1 points in a 4-1 tie.

Romford’s last visit to Gillingham saw them dominate the physical game but recent Dynamos’ signing Alastair Band signalled that the hosts were in no mood to be bossed about this time around as he ditched the gloves in the opening three minutes.

An altercation between Tom Dennis and Billy Phillips ended with both sets of players coming together and Band and JJ McGrath opting to start the circling routine ahead of an exchange of fists. Band removed the shirt of his fellow combatant and landed the better hits having drawn blood from McGrath that left the ice in need of maintenance.

When the action restarted the Dynamos then broke the deadlock in the eighth minutes as Ryan Ellis found Andy Smith in space inside the left faceoff circle and the team’s captain swept inside the near post to make it 1-0. That edge was then extended in the second as the front line combination of Smith and Ellis resulted in another tally. A one-two saw Smith tee up the Canadian in front of the target and his one timer left netminder Michael Gray with no chance.

Indiscipline then began to cost the Raiders as both Andrius Kaminskas and JJ McGrath picked up misconduct penalties but the visitors would finally answer early in the last when AJ Smith was on hand to tap in at the back stick following fine work from Juraj Huska.

Any comeback hopes were dashed twelve minutes from time however, as Andy Smith’s effort from the left side thundered clear of the net having hit the far post but the puck dropped for Alastair Band in the right channel and he drilled in to make it 3-1.

In the closing moments Smith then broke free of the Romford back line as he escaped on the breakaway and the forward showed excellent composure as he stick shifted in front of Michael Gray before firing in high over the goalie’s shoulder. Come the buzzer then the Dynamos celebrated a 4-1 win and becoming just the second side to get the better of the Raiders so far in 2011/12.

So it was a fantastic performance from the home side especially given the unavailability of injured quartet Anthony Lennon, Nicky Lewis, Adam Copland and Michael Timms and the additional absence of ‘import’ Justin Noble. Man of the match awards on the night went to Alastair Band of the hosts whilst Tom Davis secured the honours for the visitors.

From here the team now tale to the road as they take on the Milton Keynes Thunder on Saturday before a trip to Streatham to face the Redskins on Sunday.