Solihull Barons – Billingham Stars

Recap

The Direct Taxis Solihull Barons bolstered their league points tally with a win in a closely fought tie against the Billingham Stars on Sunday evening.

After nine minutes, the Stars found the net on their second powerplay of the evening. While their first largely had them pinned into their own end they capitalised next time round as Chris Sykes found a way round Graham Laverick for the opener. By mid-period there was a pause in play following some shenanigans on the corner boards and once the penalties had been doled out the Barons were left shorthanded. Despite this the Mulcahy brothers combined to give the Barons the equaliser – Phil breaking up the ice with Daniel finishing. With seven minutes to go Phil Mulcahy got the go-ahead goal for Solihull , another quick break before the Solihull number 24 picked his spot. With two and a half minutes to go of the first Joseph Walls, levelled for the Stars with a shot high up on Laverick’s glove side and into the top right of the net.

The second period gave both sides chances but it would be James Smith after 12 minutes who would be the first to convert with a very deft precision shot which defeated Thomas Brown in the Billingham net. Within a little over a minute the Stars, on the powerplay, were back level as Chris Sykes picked up the rebound from a Jack Emerson shot for the visitors third of the night. The Barons headed to the dressing room with a slender advantage however. With 30 seconds to go Niklas Ottosson, on the back post, took a cross ice pass from Phil Mulcahy and slotted the puck into acres of space in the top right of the Stars net and tip the balance back toward Solihull.

Ottosson would again quickly find the net the other side of the break, a feed from Phil Mulcahy once more being lofted into the top left corner of the Hawks net. The score would remain 5-3 for much of the period. A Barons goal was waved off with 5 minutes left on the clock as Dan Mulcahy was deemed to be in the goalie crease. With limited time and a two goal advantage favouring the Barons, the Stars pulled their keeper with less than a minute to go and were rewarded with their fourth goal with just 16 seconds left on the clock – Michael Elder with the finish. It would all be little more than a consolation however as the Barons edged it with the single goal advantage.

The Barons are back on home ice this weekend when they welcome the Blackburn Hawks to Hobs Moat. The sides have met twice this season in the Moralee Cup but this will be the first time they have clashed in the league and the Barons will be keen to ensure the win to stay in contention at the top end of the division.

Barons Man of the Match, Elliot Farrell (S Crampton)

Stars Man of the Match, Callum Wilkinson (S Crampton)