LEEDS KNIGHTS marched back to the top of the NIHL National standings - but they were made to work for their four-point weekend by Telford Tigers.
The Tigers have endured a tough start to the 2024-25 campaign and came into the double-header weekend against the Knights bottom of the standings.
On both nights, Ryan Aldridge’s players had to dig deep, following up Saturday’s 5-3 win in Telford with a nail-biting 3-2 victory back at The Castle 24 hours later.
Matt Bissonnette and Matt Haywood both enjoyed six-point weekends as the Knights moved back above Milton Keynes Lightning and into top spot after their Buckinghamshire rivals’ 6-5 defeat at Romford Raiders on Friday.
The Knights found it tough on both nights, none more so than on Sunday when nothing could separate the two teams after the first 20 minutes, despite the Knights out-shooting the Tigers 16-7.
But it wasn’t long after the restart before the Knights got their reward, Noah McMullin firing them in front with just 12 seconds of the second period gone.
Vladimir Luka retaliated for Telford when equalising just over five minutes later, the Knights providing a swift response of their own when Haywood bagged his first of the night at 28.03.
But the hosts were hauled back for a second time before the period was over, Luka doubling his tally for the night to make it 2-2 at 37.00.
The Knights resumed superiority in the third in terms of zone time and chances and it was that man Haywood again who came to their rescue, beating Brad Day for a second time with just over six minutes remaining, his 12th goal of the season proving enough to take his team back to the top of the league.
On Saturday, it was an equally tough time for the defending NIHL National champions, although the Knights got on the board far earlier when Bissonnette broke the deadlock in the seventh minute.
Telford responded just 48 seconds later through Finley Howells and it wasn’t until the second period that the Knights put some distance between themselves and their hosts, Bissonnette making it 2-1 in the 32nd minute before captain Kieran Brown doubled the lead six minutes later.
But that lead evaporated by the 48th minute when Edgars Landsbergs and Harry Ferguson struck within three minutes of each other.
It was down to Matt Barron to score what proved to be the game-winning goal, making it 4-3 at 55.17 before Haywood made sure of both points with an empty-netter with just 41 seconds left on the clock.
