Leeds Knights 2 v Billingham Stars: No pressure as underdogs look to cause NIHL One North play-off upset
THEY didn’t make it easy for themselves but head coach Davey Lawrence’s Leeds Knights 2 found a way to qualify for this weekend’s NIHL North 1 Moralee play-off quarter-finals.
Last Saturday they headed over to their Yorkshire rivals, Sheffield Scimitars – who finished just below them in the table – but they lost 6-2, piling all the pressure onto their final match against Nottingham Lions, who finished above them in the table.
They got off to a terrible start as they found themselves 3-0 down. However, they managed to pull it back to 3-3 and force overtime, where they got over the line, pulling out a victory through a Michael Danecko winner when it mattered most.
Lawrence said that the message was clear, that they needed to find a way to win to keep their season alive.
“It was much needed, we left it until death’s door you could say,” he said.
“But it was a big one. We were 3-0 down on Sunday with 20 minutes to go and you’re staring it straight in the face, it’s a do-or-die moment.
“The message that was relayed was that if you want the season to extend, at least by another week, then we’ve got 20 minutes to dig our way out of it.
"I changed a few things in the way we were playing and it seemed to work and we got a result. They showed a lot of character in getting a result.
“We need to be more consistent and put 60 minutes together rather than 40 or 20.”
Knights 2 now face a two-legged quarter-final against North One Moralee league champions, Billingham Stars, and Lawrence is hoping that they can pull something off in the home leg tomorrow, so that it’s not all to do on Sunday when they head to the North East.
The Stars have been the standout team in North One all season, lifting the Moralee Cup as well as the league title to put them in a position to register an historic treble by adding the play-off crown.
For tickets to Saturday’s play-off clash between Leeds Knights 2 and Billingham Stars (face-off 7.30pm) go HERE
During the regular season, the Stars have enjoyed four comfortable wins against Leeds, but Lawrence has faith in his players going into the quarter-final tie.
“It only takes them to have an off night, and it puts us in pole position, so to speak,” he added.
“It’s not like you have a whole week to turn things around. It’s a free hit and a chance to go against a very well-drilled team.
“If we can have a good game at home on Saturday, then it’s all to play for in Billingham on Sunday.
"There’s no real pressure on us as the underdogs. We’re the lowest seed playing the highest seed so we’re not expected to win, all the pressure is on them.”
NIHL North One play-off quarter-finals #1 Billingham Stars v #8 Leeds Knights 2 #2 Blackburn Hawks v #7 Nottingham Lions #3 Solihull Barons v #6 Whitley Warriors #4 Deeside Dragons v #5 Hull Jets
For tickets to Saturday’s play-off clash between Leeds Knights 2 and Billingham Stars (face-off 7.30pm) go HERE