By Tom Pink
I was ill for most of last week, some kind of bug or virus. There’s something going round at the moment. I honestly wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
By Saturday morning I was up and about, feeling much better and very much looking forward to the game. I thought this might be a chance at redemption, a reaction to the close game two weeks ago, and the big 1-5 defeat away at Peterborough last weekend.
But from about 5:34pm I could have sworn I was in some kind of fever dream, back in the worst depths of the viral induced sweats and delirium.
I’d said here two weeks ago that Lee Valley were good value. That they’d obviously improved this year, and that they’d very much fancy their chances in this fixture. That was in sharp relief on Saturday, for all to see; full colour, surround sound, 4K HDR.
It’s as poor a 40-50 minutes as I’ve seen from Haringey and woeful for the majority. It was threatened a fortnight ago and executed on Saturday. Across the first two periods Lee Valley race to a 4-0 lead without response. They’re ruthless in a way that seems so difficult for us currently.
Over the two games we’ve played against them this year, we’ve out-shot Lee Valley comfortably with 112 shots on net to their 54. But whereas the Lions are scoring with every eighth shot they have, it’s taking the Huskies 16 shots to score one goal. So not only are we still struggling to score, but we’re easier to score against now. There was a softness to this team on Saturday that hasn’t been there before. Lee Valley could get at them, and boy did they.
Pete Toth makes his return, and Oli Cooper, Alex Benson, Ben Beldecos, and Cameron Pow all get game time with the Huskies. I watched some of the Haringey Hounds u16 and u18 playoff games that were streamed in the spring. I thought Cameron Pow looked great and was a standout player along with JJ Sanders and a couple of others.
Four minutes in, and there’s a scramble in front of the Haringey net, as a couple of shots are blocked and the puck pinballs all over the place, but it’s not dealt with, not cleared, not covered, and it’s slotted eventually by Nathan Awoyemi. A messy, messy goal and 0-1 to Lee Valley.
Oli Cooper drives to the slot, doing well to pass a couple of Lee Valley players, but shoots too close to the netminder.
Matt Hepburn has a great opportunity to equalise, but his shot 1-on-1 is blocked high by the netminder’s pad. Leo De Souza and Ben link up in the slot but it’s smothered. Scott Anda has a few looks over the period, as does Conner Smith. His toe drag across the slot was sublime, but he shoots over the bar.
With less than a minute on the clock in the first period, Nathan Awoyemi bursts down the right wing and sends the puck across the slot to find Matt Ganas at the back post to tap in for 0-2. Easy.
Lee Valley pick up exactly where they left off in the first. Less than 50 seconds into the second period, Sam Brazier puts it on net and it deflects, looping and spiralling into the air over everyone’s head, past the outstretched hands and into the back of the net. 0-3. Weak, weak, weak.
Conner does all the hard work and finds new boy Robert Rejna whose blocked in close. Leo and Marton Szasz have chances saved by Ethan Frain in net. Alex Benson makes an important block in the slot.
We’re creating many, many scoring opportunities but simply can’t put the puck in the net. Minute and a half left in the second; Lee Valley steal the puck in the offensive zone, work it to Seb Downing who shoots and scores far side, making it 0-4. Shellshocked. Wow. His second goal against us in as many games. It never seemed to work for him at the Huskies, but he’s a player reborn with the Lions.
We come out in the third needing at least four goals, needing something, anything.
We send out the third or fourth line of Joe Tearall and the Hepburn brothers to try and mix it up. It’s end-to-end for a few minutes as Haringey try to get a foothold. David Wride makes a very good save point blank from the slot, then clears. So important at that stage in the game.
It’s not looking likely until there’s about 13 minutes left on the clock. It’s a shot from the point that Ben snaffles home on the rebound. 1-4. Is there time?
Scott has a wrister from the slot gloved. Ryan Payne is gloved from the point. Chances, chances, chances. Time ticking on. Four minutes left; Conner shoots far side from the slot and makes it 2-4. Just over a minute later, Stuart Appleby shoots far side from the right and scores top corner. 3-4. Great goal.
But it’s not enough. No famous comeback this time, and time runs out.
David Wride is pulled with 12 seconds left in the game, and not enough time to affect change. An ignominious start for Haringey in the Eddie Jones Memorial Cup, and a dream for Lee Valley. Ben Beldecos gets player of the match.
The truth is we didn’t make Lee Valley work hard enough for the win, even with the late rally to make it 3-4. I thought their goals were far too soft from a Haringey perspective. Losing isn’t the issue here for me, it’s the way they lost: anaemic.
Haringey have got to respond, and quickly. I don’t know what the implications are for the Eddie Jones Memorial Cup, but there aren’t enough games in the season to be able to put in performances like this without things getting away from you very quickly.
It’s Oxford at home and Cardiff away next weekend. Our first double game weekend of the season. Oxford have lost to Invicta and Lee Valley, and beaten Cardiff, while Cardiff have beaten Bristol in OT and lost to Oxford 4-3.
It’s two eminently winnable games. I don’t know what the Canucks will be like, but I know that if Haringey turn up, they can beat anyone.
More desire, more intent, more snarl. Give us something.
Right, that’s enough from me I’m going for a lie down. Has anyone got any paracetamol?
See you on Saturday.
Game sheet:
NIHL2 EJMC – Haringey Huskies vs Lee Valley Lions – 28SEP2024
Photo: Phil Hutchinson