Leeds Knights under-strength and over-stretched as they lose further ground on NIHL National leaders
LEEDS KNIGHTS suffered a blow to their aspirations of landing a fourth straight NIHL National league title when they suffered defeat at the hands of runaway leaders Swindon Wildcats.
Icing only 14 skaters - two of which were teenage debutants - the Knights took a first period lead at the Link Centre through Matt Bissonnette’s 12th-minute strike.
But the absence of eight regulars - missing either through injury or on international duty - proved too big a hurdle to overcome for Ryan Aldridge’s team as they went down 5-1.
Leeds - who handed NIHL National debuts to 16-year-old Frankie O’Sullivan and 17-year-old Helgi Bjarnason - have a game in hand and two more meetings against the Wildcats but, with only 15 games remaining, the chances of overhauling Aaron Nell’s team look bleak.
Having been rocked by Bissonnette’s opener at 11.23, it didn’t take long for Swindon to respond when Caden Villegas beat Sam Gospel to equalise just 32 seconds later.
The hosts were ahead through a second close-range strike from Villegas just under six minutes later and although Leeds toiled valiantly goals either side of the second period break ended their resistance.
Edgars Bebris made it 3-1 at 37.17 while Ed Bradley put the Wildcats three goals ahead at 42.31. Owen Griffiths made sure of the points with a power play strike at 53.27.
Saturday sees the Wildcats remain at home for the visit of Romford, while Leeds take the day off ahead of Sunday’s trip to Peterborough, no doubt hoping to repeat the success they had there two weeks ago.
Finley Bradon - one of four players away on GB international duty - is set to return to the Leeds line-up on Sunday.