Leeds Knights edge out Hull Seahawks in derby play-off thriller

Leeds’ Oli Endicott won a battle on the boards with Hull’s Jamie Chilcott, Daragh Spawforth then drove to the net with a wraparound, his shot attempt by blocked by Aleksanteri Heiskanen only for the puck to break loose where Endicott followed up to force it over the line before any one of a number of Hull players could get there before him.

It was the breakthrough moment that saw Elland Road Ice Arena erupt in a frenzy - possibly the loudest it had been there all season

The problem for Hull was, when it came, there were only 139 seconds remaining in a pulsating play-off clash which had kept a near-capacity crowd riveted all night.

Were there goals? No, but there was plenty of needle, aggression, aggravation and energy from both sides all night.

Hull coach Matty Davies said afterwards both teams deserved something from their seventh derby meeting of the season and he was right.

Now his team must lift themselves and make sure they avoid defeat to Leeds when the two teams meet in Hull on Sunday evening.

At the halfway point in Group B, Leeds sit top with five points, Milton Keynes Lightning one back after their come-from-behind 6-3 win at home to Telford Tigers, who are above Hull on goal difference.

At times the officials tried their best to ruin the occasion but both teams, on balance, suffered their fair share of baffling calls and non-calls.

Both teams contributed to a game crackling with tension throughout, the longer it went on, the greater the fear no doubt grew among the respective fanbases.

Leeds carved out the greater number of chances but again found Heiskanen in top form.

The two best chances came late in the third, Kieran Brown firing wide with only the goalie to beat in the 56th minute and Edgars Vengis being denied by Heiskanen’s right pad after carving out an opening for himself a minute later.

The winner may have been scrappy, but it was in keeping with a game that had entertained throughout.

“Just gutted,” said Davies afterwards. “First of all it was a great game. It was a really hard play-off game. I thought both teams played really well.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose in regulation, I think it would have been fair for both teams to get a point and then see what happened.

“We had a couple of chances in the third there to win the game but it was a tough one to lose it like we did on a wraparound goal like that - the boys are gutted but we’ve got to quickly move on and get our energy back.”

Opposite number Ryan Aldridge got the improvement he was looking for from his players after being frustrated with elements of their two performances against Telford last time out.

“I thought we had a little lapse in the second period but, for the most part, I thought the boys were brilliant,” said Aldridge.

“I thought the D-zone was good, better than it has been for the past couple of weeks, everyone was buying in and it was an absolutely massive goal.”

On the decisive moment in the 58th minute, he added: “Daragh made a smart play, and then obviously the boys are just hungry at the net.

“It was going to be be an ugly goal kind of thing but we had to get to the net and put pressure on their goalie and when Oli plays that grindy way he’s a very effective hockey player

“When Oli plays the game the right way, the way I think he should play he’s super-effective and he proved that tonight.”