WHITLEY WARRIORS 1-4 ALTRINCHAM ACES 16 MARCH 2003

A visit to Whitley Bay minus Tim Dempsey, Nick Crawley, Steve Daly and Kevin Cassidy. Warriors minus some of their own players for rather different reasons.

With Warriors lining up with only nine skaters and what you might call some old faces, you knew what was in store. The rough stuff started at 1.27 with Steve Winn getting 2+2 for joining another Warrior’s scuffle with Russ Richardson, the ref not seeing it as third man in. Aces couldn’t get anything going on the powerplay and with the Warriors always looking dangerous, even though they were icing the puck a lot, they eventually took the lead. The puck stuck at the side of the Aces net and with a few thinking it had gone to the other side, it came out and Andrew Tindale came in to put it in. Aces hadn’t been making good chances and McKay in the home net was stopping a lot but also yielding up a lot of rebounds that weren’t being got to. Fortunately the Aces at last found a way past McKay, Greg Allen slotting home from the left face off circle. Aces opened up the Warriors defence again but Jason Hewitt put the puck just past the far post before Phil Verstappen made a good glove save to deny Graham.

Aces started the next period well with a quick one two three goal as it went from Jason behind to Billy to Greg and inside the near post. Then on a powerplay, Simon Mills passed from the point to Jason in the slot to shoot home for a 3-1 lead. Aces extending the lead on 30.25, 4 on 4 and Greg worked to make space and slotted home inside the far post. Aces changed netminders, Danny making a good save to deny Tindale clear in on goal just after Steve Michie had had a tip saved by McKay. Greg hit a post before more rough stuff, Dowd having a go at Arran Richardson and disappearing with a Match. Aces didn’t convert the 5 minute powerplay going in 4-1 up.

The game was almost over but a Warriors goal might change things. Keven Bucas steamrollered Russ with a clean hit in mid ice. Aces were 5 on 3 for a minute and thought they’d scored a good goal from Billy (Greg getting a ten minute misconduct for protests) even though it hadn’t been obvious from the distance and angle we were sitting. Both sides were still having chances (our goalie stats looked a bit out of line) before it kicked off again. Dunn started on Simon, got sent off, put in the box, then comes sailing out heading for Simon again. Russ got in his way taking his gloves off to grab Dunn down onto the ice and collected a ten minute penalty that the ref wouldn’t reconsider, Dunn adding a Match to his list of penalties. After that the match wound down to a 4-1 Aces win and with results elsewhere, everything still to play for.

1-0 09.59 Tindale from Cairns and Dowd
1-1 12.03 Allen from Hewitt
1-2 22.52 Allen from Price and Hewitt
1-3 25.25 Hewitt from Mills PPG
1-4 30.25 Allen

ACES

Greg Allen 3+0 (MoM), Russ Richardson, Steve Michie, Brian Worrall, Jason Hewitt 1+2, Simon Mills 0+1, Arran Richardson, Stephen Elliott, Luke Stretton, Billy Price 0+1
Phil Verstappen (30m 25s, 10s, 1g, 90%), Danny Higgin (29m 35s, 6s, 0g, 100%)

SOG 16-63 PIMS 106-32