The Invicta Dynamos were unfortunate not to take any points from a home tie against the Chelmsford Chieftains on Sunday evening.

Kevin Parrish’s outnumbered fourteen man squad put in an excellent display but ultimately fell to a narrow 5-4 defeat.

Home fans at the Silver Blades Ice Rink Gillingham could have been forgiven for fearing the worst soon after the puck drop as the visitors took a 1-0 lead inside 21 seconds. Alan Green won a foot race with Peter Beerling before a low shot beyond the outstretched leg of Andy Moffat secured the opener.

The Dynamos were level by the break however as Justin Noble countered down the right channel before dispatching a pinpoint wrist effort high over the shoulder of goalie David Wride and into the net to restore parity.

In the second frame the sides exchanged chances but it took until seven minutes from time for the scoreboard to be altered. Grant Baxter put the hosts ahead as he fired into the net on the back stick, following a pass from Ryan Ellis, but the Chieftains levelled quickly with player/coach Gary Clarke beating the netminder with a neat one-timer.

The Dynamos then took a 3-2 lead ahead of the break when Andy Smith’s drilled shot from the left boards caught the glove of David Wride but still found the target behind him to provide the home side with a slender edge.

In the final frame Chelmsford pulled level with a powerplay goal from Michael Ranby at point blank range and they then looked to be on their way to the two points when Danny Hammond fired then in front with a one-timer from between the faceoff circles.

However, the Dynamos refused to surrender, and they answered to pull level halfway through the period when Peter Beerling unleashed a venomous slapshot from the blue line that found the roof of the net to make it 4-4. The Chieftains would claim points though when, five minutes from time, Tom Avery’s long drive deflected perfectly for Jakub Klima, with the Czech forward able to convert from close left to seal the win.

So it was a defeat for the Dynamos but one they far from deserved as, despite their lack of numbers and further injuries to Nicky Lewis and Jack Tarczycki, they put up dogged resistance, with their performance worthy of at least one point.

Nevertheless it was the visitors who departed with the spoils and forward Ross Brears was selected as their man of the match whilst Canadian Justin Noble took it for the hosts following perhaps his best performance since his arrival in Gillingham.

Picture supplied by David Trevallion