Solway Sharks, sponsored by Building Craftsmen Dumfries, maintained their excellent 2016 form with a 9-1 win over Sheffield Senators on Saturday afternoon. Martin Grubb’s side head to the midlands this coming weekend for a road double header in Solihull and Telford.
Saturday’s result means the Sharks are only four points out of a playoff place with games in hand on all of the teams above them in the NIHL Moralee Division 1 North table. The Dumfries outfit have 20 points from 19 games and sit in seventh place. The final playoff spot is held by Billingham Stars who have 23 points from 23 games.
Travelling to Sheffield on Saturday, Solway were off to the perfect start as skipper Struan Tonnar netted after just 71 seconds – the first of what became a hat-trick on the night.
Defenceman Stuart Andrews stepped up into the play in the seventh minute to make it 2-0 before the Senators struck their only goal of the game at 9.54 through Callum Rawson.
Sheffield’s joy was shortlived as Tonnar bagged his second just 18 seconds later (10.12) before completing his treble ahead of the first interval, 4-1 timed at 15.55.
Solway added only one to their tally in the middle frame, despite firing 16 shots at Bob Browne in the Sheffield net, only three shots coming back the other way for Keiran Hobbins to deal with. Martin Cingel with the strike at
35.34 to make the score 5-1 Sharks after 40 minutes of play.
The final session saw Solway strike twice in the first five minutes through Stuart Kerr and Marc Fowley. Ross Murray added the eighth goal six minutes from time before Martin Cingel picked up his second goal and fourth point of the night at 55.22 to complete the scoring.
Head coach Martin Grubb said: “We’ve been on a good run and it’s important to keep that going as we chase down a playoff place. There are five or six teams battling for a couple of remaining spots and we can’t worry about what the other teams do.
“If we look after our own results and take care of business in our games then we’ll make the final weekend and get our ticket to the dance.
“It’s a competitive division this year with teams taking points off each other every night – I’ve said it before but consistency is the key. If we maintain our current form and keep picking up the points we’ll be okay.”
The BCD Solway Sharks aren’t back in home action until 20 February. Before that this weekend they have a double header on the road in the midlands, facing off against two of the newly promoted sides Telford (Saturday 5.30pm) and Solihull (Sunday 6pm).
The Sharks had a similar road trip in late September and lost both games so will be looking to put the record straight this coming weekend.
Next at home for the Sharks will be the visit of Billingham Stars on Saturday 20 February, face off at 7pm.
Sharks scoring v Senators: Tonnar 3+1, Cingel 2+2, Fowley 1+2, Andrews 1+1, Kerr and Murray 1+0, Wallace, Bowie and Coulter 0+2, Adams, Senko and Moore
0+1. Net: Hobbins 19 shots, 18 saves.
