Leeds Knights 2 striving to overcome the odds and make NIHL North One play-offs
AS Davey Lawrence’s Leeds Knights 2 side head into Sunday’s home game against Telford Tigers, they do so knowing that three points might not be enough to save their play-off hopes.
A pointless three-game weekend last time out now means they are relying on bottom team Sheffield Scimitars to pull off an upset and beat Nottingham Lions tomorrow in order for them to stand any chance of making the post-season.
Should that happen and the Knights pull off what would be a surprise win over Telford - as well as beat Sheffield themselves next week - then that would set up a winner-takes-all match in Nottingham on March 22.
“We could get nine points and Nottingham are still seven in front,” said Lawrence, whose team followed up a Friday night loss in Telford with 4-0 defeats against Hull Jets and Solihull Barons. “We can still do it mathematically, but I think it's going to be difficult.
“They've got to play Sheffield, so they’re likely to pick up another three points there. So I think it's pretty much done, but mathematically not quite.
“But we are where we are and we have to come to terms with that real quick and try and finish as strong as we can and just see what happens.
“Hopefully, we can finish on a high and we'll see where we are after Sunday and then reassess before the final weekend going into Sheffield.”
Lawrence is well aware of how tough Telford will be having lost to them last Friday night.
“We have to go into this weekend and make sure that we sit in and try to cut down on our mistakes and hopefully they make a couple and we can capitalise on that. It’s a game of mistakes,” he added.
“The one who makes the most generally is the one who comes worst off. So the less that we can make and hopefully the more that we can force them into, then we'll see where we are after 60 minutes.”