WHITLEY WARRIORS
V
BILLINGHAM EAGLES
ED1 NORTH
6TH FEBRUARY 2000
Sunday 6th Februaury saw the Eagles take a trip up the road to Whitley, in what could have been a crucial deciding game in the contest for ED1, however the heat was off the Eagles as a victory against Flintshire the night before and a final league game against Bradford woluld put the league title beyond doubt. The Eagles visited Hillheads with the intention of breaking Whitleys un-defeated home record. Eagles were without 2 players from the squad that beat Whitley 5:2 earlier this season. Tom Brown was sitting in the stands, unable to play because of a neck injury, Eagles were again without Andy Fletcher.
1st Period
The Firt opened with Whitley going short handed at 20 seconds into the game when Simon Leach collected 2 minutes for charging.The power play was short lived when Brian Perry himself collected a 2 minute un-necessary roughnes penalty. Warriors were the first to open the scoring when Andy Carter moved un marked into the Eagles crease to collect a pass from behind the Eagles net and shoot home to edge the Warriors into the lead. The game was stopped at 5:54 when Eagles Si Burns and Warriors Daniel Ord had an off the play punch up in front of the Eagles net, both collected a 2 + 2 for roughing and play continued at 5 on 5. Warrioirs second was scored as the Eagles defense were caught napping leaving Fletty to face 2 advancing Warriors players alone.Both teams had chances that were denied either by net minders or the pipework. Eagles opened their account when Stepen Wallace forced the Warriors net minder to commit himself, the result was a shot lifted over the sprawled net minder. 11:35 saw Whitley pick up another penalty when Chris Taylor sat for a 2 min interference call. Eagles got their second at 16:05 when Brian Perry fought his way through the Whitley defense to place a back pass to Paul Winndridge who fired home to level the scores at 2 goals each. The silky skills of Stepen Wallace were again on show as he skated around, over and under the Whitley defense only to be denied by the pipes. The first closed with the Eagles being hooked, tripped , elbowed, held and slashed in the best Whitley tradition.
2nd Period
The second opened with the Warriors edging ahead when they scored after only 26 seconds of play with a goal from Lee Baxter assisted by Simon Leach.Warriors piled on the pressure and at 21:02 the combination of Baxter and Leach combined again to give Whitley their fourth.Eagles found an answer when Gary Dowd blasted home from the point to cut the Warriors lead.Warriors again went short handed when they collected a 2 minute roughing penalty. Paul Winndridge capitilised on the power play when he skated into the Whitley zone with one of the Mcginnety brothers wrapped all over him, in the pile of bodies that accumulated in the Warriors crease, Spike somehow slipped the puck through to level the scores at 4 each. Whitley again collected a penalty at 27:23 a 2 minute holding the stick call gave the Eagles another power play. This power play gave Stephen Wallace his second goal of the night assisted by Paul Winndridge and Brian Perry.The second saw no further goal action but Whitley went on to collect another three penaltys unsportsman conduct , un-necessary roughness and a holding penalty.The third closed Warriors 4 : Eagles 5.
3rd Period
The Warriors again came out strong and levelled the score after only one minute thirty seconds of the third. whitley picked up yet another penalty at 41:58 when Andy Carter sat for 2 minutes for slashing.The Eagles had some valient efforts denied by the Whitley net minder or the pipe work however at the other end the Warriors were pilling on the pressure extending their lead through a goal from Darren Taylor at 46:18. The pairing of Leach and Baxter again proved fruitfull when Leach pushed the score line up to Warriors 7 : Eagles 5.The scores remained unchanged at the end of the period. The Warriors would not get away un - punished for so many shoddy penalties if the Eagles usual powerplay unit had been able to ice. Congratulations should go to the Warriors who like the Eagles have maintained an unbeaten home record and further congratulations for being the first team to beat the ED1 north champions 99/00.
PERIOD SCORES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | FINAL | |
| WHITLEY | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| BILLINGHAM | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
PENALTIES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| WHITLEY | 10 | 10 | 4 | 24 |
| BILLINGHAM | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
SHOTS ON GOAL
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| WHITLEY | 12 | 12 | 7 | 31 |
| BILLINGHAM | 11 | 11 | 8 | 30 |
EAGLES MAN OF THE MATCH STEPHEN WALLACE
WARRIORS MAN OF THE MATCH SIMON LEACH
HOME PLAYER STATS JUNIORS