The Invicta Dynamos made it four wins in five games as they comfortably beat Cardiff NIHL Devils 6-1 on Saturday night.
Kevin Parrish’s side took to the ice without captain Nicky Lewis who was nursing a hamstring problem, whilst Adam McNicoll, Grant Baxter, Haydn Wootton and Taylor Wootton were all missing, with the visitors drastically short on numbers in which to call from.
The game started in lively fashion and it was clear from the off that the Dynamos didn’t want a repeat of the 1-1 draw between the two teams three weeks previously.
It took just three minutes for the Dynamos to open the scoring with Steve Osman rounding off a neat move involving Conor Redmond and Joshua Condren.
With Luke Merrick off the ice serving a penalty for kicking out at Condren, the Dynamos took advantage of the powerplay in the 18th minute to double the score as Eriks Ozollapa fired home.
The second period followed the pattern of the first with the Dynamos making use of another powerplay with Thomas Stuart-Dant serving two minutes for holding, allowing the home side to make it 3-0 with Condren getting himself on the scoresheet.
Cardiff weren’t to be denied though as they pegged it back to 3-1 in the 35th minute with Stuart-Dant firing through a crowd of players leaving Dynamos netminder Damien King unsighted.
Just seventeen seconds after the restart and it was 4-1 as Bailey Wootton fired home after impressive build up play from Osman and Jacob Ranson.
There was time for a fifth Dynamos goal in the period with Ramsey Roderick the latest Cardiff player to sit out for two minutes allowing the Kent team to make use of the man over with Osman tapping home.
Sensing they were going to get a hiding, Cardiff came out for the final period looking to turn the game into a physical battle with Stuart-Dant the main offender.
He clashed with Ozollapa in the 51st minute, hitting the Dynamos import from behind with the officials deciding the Cardiff man deserved just two minutes off the ice, whilst the Invicta forward was to sit out the rest of the game after picking up a 2+10 for a check to the head.
As the game wore on and Stuart-Dant put in more cheap shots on the Dynamos players, Jack Lee was sent onto the ice to protect his side and it came to a trading of blows between the two with the Invicta man getting more punches away.
The pair were to pick up penalties for roughing, whilst Brad Gutridge received a ten minute misconduct penalty as the Dynamos box began to fill up with Ondrej Zosiak to serve two minutes and the Dynamos bench picked up two minutes for disputing the officials’ ability.
It was Zosiak that was to have the last say in the game as he scored the sixth in the final minute to cap a fine night that sent most of the crowd home pleased with the entertainment they’d seen.
The Dynamos have little time to reflect on the victory as they head to league leaders Chelmsford Chieftains on Sunday night.
To listen to exclusive interviews with Bailey Wootton and Andy Henderson from after the game, click here:
Pictures supplied by David Trevallion.