BILLINGHAM EAGLES ( 4 ) v OXFORD CITY STARS ( 1 )
ENHL SEMI FINAL 2nd LEG
29th April 2001
Sunday 29th April seemed like it had taken for ever to come around as the Eagles prepared to secure a Championship final place. Between them and confirmation of the Final place lay the Oxford City Stars. With a 3 goal cushion and the City Stars having made the long road trip north the Eagles would be fairly confident of making it to the final.
Eagles would face the challenge without the playing talents of Andre Malo who picked up a 2 + 2 + 10 and a 20 minute game misconduct. This was for retaliating after a deliberate attempt to injury from Oxfords Andy Cox, also sitting tonight's game out with a ban. Eagles were without Martin Lewis and Gareth Crinnion (injured)and starting as back up net minder for the Eagles was Richard Griffiths. Making a welcome return for the Eagles following extended paternity leave was Tom Brown.
1st Period
The first opened with the returning Tom Browns first touch of the game opening the scoring when he hit a one timer supplied by Paul Windridge beating Oxfords Matt Cameron in the pipes, time of the goal 1:23. Eagles found themselves a man down when ref Kim Lawley called Graeme Harrison for a roughing penalty at 3:30, the Eagles played the penalty off and looked set to dominate even a man down.
A well taken slapshot from the red line from Gary Dowd forced a stick save from Matt Cameron, Tom Griffiths was unlucky not to connect in front of an open goal. However things were not to go all the Eagles way as Oxford import Derek Flint capitalised on a loose puck from a goal mouth scramble, Flint lifted it over Simon Burns from a very tight angle to tie the game at one goal each at 13:03, unassisted.
Under a minute later the Eagles were again in penalty trouble as Tom Brown was called for a checking from behind penalty 2 +10. Eagles played off the penalty without loss.
The go ahead goal came at 17:43 for the Eagles when Perry and Wallace combined well, a selfless pass from Brian on the edge of the Oxford crease allowed Stephen to draw round and lift a back hand shot that turned the light on.
The first closed Billingham Eagles 2 : Oxford City Stars 1.
2nd Period
With an aggregate 5 goal cushion the Eagles were unlucky not to extend that when Stephen Wallace skated on to and drew Matt Cameron to the left before slotting a pass to Paul Windridge on the edge of the crease, Spike just failed to connect. In the 24th minute Andrew Wells was also unlucky to be denied when Matt Cameron got a glove to a puck fired by Wells right on the line.
At 25:09 the Eagles went short handed as Andy Thornton collected a 2 minute holding penalty, Oxford took advantage of the power play in as much as they got themselves set up in the Eagles zone and put some half decent passing together, however the penalty was played off without loss. The Eagles third ( 29:07 ) goal was the second of the night for Stephen Wallace who was released by a Ritchie Thornton pass, went round a defender, the puck looking to get ahead of him he used every inch of reach to recover control, before lifting it over the committed Matt Cameron.
The fourth goal scored at 32:50 and a running hat trick for Stephen Wallace, was a carbon copy of his third but this time the assist was to Tom Griffiths. The 35th minute saw Brian Perry denied by Matt Cameron after skating the length of the ice and taking on most of the Oxford outfield as he went.
At 36:19 Oxford went a man down when James Cameron took a 2 minute sit for roughing, with Oxford having played off the penalty the Eagles advanced their scoring at 38:39 when Tom Brown received the puck from Paul Windridge, Tom found himself stood on the edge of the Oxford crease with the puck at the end of his stick and his back to the keeper, a quick spin from Tom followed by the release of an inch perfect pass onto an in skating Andy Fletcher saw Fletch hit a one timer that found the mark.
The second closed Billingham Eagles 5 : Oxford City Stars 1.
3rd Period
Twenty seconds into the third and Stephen Wallace showed the dogged determination of a Terrier as he fought and fought to rob the stars of the puck in front of there own net, as he was knocked down he still managed to lay of a good pass to Simon Hehir who returned it as Wallace returned to his feet, Stephen then hit hard and high to get his fourth goal of the night, goal timed at 40:24.
The Stars had well and truely lost their shine as the Eagles started to dominate. Under a minute later the Eagles hit home when a pass from behind the net from Tom Brown, was fired home by captain Paul Windridge. Under 2 minutes later the Eagles made it eight, this time the plot was the same as the seventh, just a different cast, a pass from behind the net from Scott Ward to Simon Hehir resulted in Simon shooting home.
The stars went short handed at 44:02 when captain Steve Cameron was called for a 2 minute slashing violation. Eagles ninth a powerplay goal came at 45;36 when the Oxford defence appeared to have gone home early, Paul Windridge and Andy Fletcher found themselves stood on the edge of the Oxford crease with only the goalie in the scene, a quick game of passies ended when Spike put Cameron out of his misery and fired the puck into the net. At 48:01 Oxford changed keepers and Chris Roberts took over in the pipes for Matt Cameron. Eagles tenth came at 48:22 when Stephen Wallace and Tom Griffiths showed the combined style and skill that makes them the U-19 leagues most deadly strike force, well worked passing also involving Simon Hehir took the Eagles into double figures as Wallace provided Griffiths with good service, and Griffiths responded with a well applied finish.
Play dropped to 4 on 4 at 49:01 as Gary Dowd and James Cameron had a minor altercation, Dowd 2 minutes for unsportsman like conduct and Cameron for interference.
Oxfords Darren Elliot headed for an early shower when he received a 2 + 2 + 10 for attempted spearing at 50:10.
An Oxford breakaway resulted in some consolation when James Cameron went one on one with Simon Burns and netted the Stars second of the night at 53:55. With a delayed penalty pending on Oxfords Norton Williams Tom Brown fired home a long range shot with an assist from Stephen Wallace timed at 57:49.
With just one second left on the clock a long pass from Brian Perry found Andy Fletcher who fired home to close the score at Billingham Eagles 12 : Oxford City Stars 2
As Whitley Warriors are still clearing a back log of cup games we will have to wait entail next week to see if its a Whitley or Basingstoke final, I know I for one would like to see a repeat of last years battle, obviously with a different out come.
PERIOD SCORES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| BILLINGHAM | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
| OXFORD | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
PENALTIES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| BILLINGHAM | 14 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
| OXFORD | 0 | 2 | 22 | 24 |
SHOTS ON GOAL
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
|
BILLINGHAM -BURNS |
10 | 9 | 7 | 26 |
| OXFORD - CAMERON | 11 | 9 | 6 | 26 |
| OXFORD - ROBERTS | - | - | 4 | 4 |
HOME PLAYER STATS