Leeds Knights suffer at hands of NIHL National rivals Romford Raiders in heavy home defeat
LEEDS KNIGHTS fell to their joint-worst defeat of the season when beaten 8-3 at home by Romford Raiders.
The loss equalled the 6-1 defeat at Telford Tigers in November, where the Knights travelled to again on Sunday night.
With the NIHL National play-offs in mind, head coach Ryan Aldridge rested No 1 goalie Sam Gospel for the first time this season, with Dan Norton handed the start.
Captain Kieran Brown returned after missing six games through an upper-body injury and found the perfect way to mark the occasion when he put his team ahead at 4.38.
Adam Laishram levelled just over two minutes later only for Owen Sobchak to fire the hosts ahead for a second time at 11.32.
But once Tjay Anderson levelled for a second time at 13.25 the Knights were forever chasing the game.
A second for Anderson arrived at 19.05 followed just 17 seconds later by a goal from Michael Power.
Stanley Johnston extended the Raiders’ lead to 5-2 before the halfway mark and while Sam Dunn’s power play strike at 32.39 gave the Knights hope of overturning the deficit, it proved to be as close as they would get.
Jake Sylvester replied with the Raiders’ sole power play goal of the night just under three minutes later to make it 6-3, the game being closed out in the third period when he scored his second of the night at 48.27 before Austin Osborn made it 8-3 20 seconds later.