Ryan Aldridge looking for Leeds Knights to make themselves NIHL National play-off contenders
WITH his team’s NIHL National league crown finally being worn by a rival team, Leeds Knights’ head coach Ryan Aldridge has already began turning his attention to the play-offs.
Before that can begin in earnest, though, he must guide his team back from the 3-1 deficit they face when they take on Sheffield Steeldogs in the second leg of the National Cup Final.
That encounter arrives on Wednesday at Ice Sheffield but, before then, the Knights continue their league schedule, one which sees them host the Steeldogs tonight before tomorrow’s visit to Swindon Wildcats, who last weekend ended Leeds' three-year grip on the second tier’s most-coveted trophy when they were crowned regular season champions for the first time.
With six games remaining, the Knights find themselves in what is effectively a four-horse race to finishsecond to Aaron Nell’s champions.
The Steeldogs currently lead that chase, with Hull Seahawks – on the back of a10-game unbeaten run – now sitting in third, one place and two points ahead of Leeds, who can feel Peterborough Phantoms a further point back in fifth.
Having seen his team end a six-game losing streak with a 4-2 win at home to Basingstoke Bison last Sunday, Aldridge reiterated his belief that the final league position for his team was now immaterial now.
Wherever they finish – whether it be second or eighth – the six-game play-off group stage will be just as tough.
All he wants is for his players to build on the Bison win over the next couple of weeks and take some momentum into the post-season.
“I’m not worried about league position,” said Aldridge. “I’m not going to worry about who we’re playing (in the play-offs), you’ve got to beat the best to win it regardless.
“For us, it’s a case of having now had a good performance on Sunday, we need to make sure we go into the play-offs with momentum.
“Some boys played the best they’ve played in a long time on Sunday. I asked some things of them before the game on how I want to finish the year, on what I want to look at for guys to return (next season) and they bought into that and worked hard.”