The Direct Taxis Solihull Barons had to battle hard to earn a victory against a determined and defensively energetic Nottingham Lions on Sunday evening in a tie much closer than many would have predicted. With the skating several strides faster and the checks that bit harder, it was clear early on that the Barons dial had been turned up a notch or two from the pre-seasonal Huskies games the weekend before.

The visitors were the first to find the space to finish with Callum Worthington-Evans making the most of a counter attack for the Lions first, a little after two minutes. The Barons returned the compliment just after six minutes with a rapid Brodie Jesson tearing up the left wing before rattling the puck in off the Lions cross-bar to tie things up.

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