The Invicta Dynamos suffered a disappointing 4-2 road defeat to the Milton Keynes Thunder on Sunday evening.
Goals from Ryan Ellis and Callum Best were not enough to prevent the side losing out in their penultimate away fixture of the 2011/12 regular season.
Having overcome the Thunder 15-3 less than a month ago, the Dynamos travelled to Milton Keynes looking to round off a four point weekend and they made the better start as Nicky Lewis teed up Ryan Ellis in the ninth minute for the opener. It was all square by the buzzer though as the hosts answered through Joe Edwards – Ryan Gadeke claiming the assist – to make it 1-1 with twenty minutes played.
In the second period the Dynamos again edged in front as the second line pairing of Justin Noble and Callum Best combined, with Best the man to fire beyond shot stopper David Cassidy to make it 2-1. However, two goals in the space of just 21 seconds close to time saw the Thunder turn the tie on its head to go into the break 3-2 up. Tom Moboya setup ‘import’ Maros Stefanco for the leveller before Milton Keynes’ Goode brothers linked up – Harrison Goode teeing up brother Connor for the go-ahead goal.
In the final frame Thunder netminder David Cassidy then stood firm and denied the Dynamos a route back into the tie. Five minutes in, his side would then establish a two goal cushion as Tom Mboya fired in unassisted for what would prove to be the decisive and last goal of the night.
So it was a disappointing defeat in Milton Keynes for the Dynamos who endured another ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ weekend as they succumbed to a Thunder team that had previously suffered thirteen consecutive league losses. Man of the match for the visitors on the night was Corey Watkins but the squad must now up their game as they head into the final weekend of the regular season looking for the two wins that would cement fourth place in the ENIHL South Division 1 and home advantage in the first leg of the playoffs.
Saturday will see the Dynamos travel to Berkshire to take on the Bracknell Hornets before a Sunday date back in Gillingham with the Bristol Pitbulls.
Picture by David Trevallion