Solihull Barons – Nottingham Lions

Recap

Zoo Accounting Solihull Barons : 8
Nottingham Lions : 2

The Zoo Accounting Solihull Barons put on a well controlled display on Sunday evening to earn a couple of points with a convincing win against a Nottingham Lions side who will have been disappointed not to run Solihull closer.

Within a minute the Barons were on the scoresheet. A Dan Mulcahy shot was partly saved by Lions netminder Matty Bloor, the puck coming to rest between the goalie and the line before Bloor’s effort to recover the puck nudged it into the net. After 6 minutes however the Lions had brought things level once more as a rebounded shot was sent goalward by Toby Fisher, beyond Graham Laverick and into the Solihull net. The Barons quickly countered as Phil Mulcahy battled his was up the left wing before a tight angled cross found Nikas Ottosson for Solihull’s second goal. A beautifully set-up tic-tac-toe goal between Niklas Ottosson and the Mulcahy brothers pushed the Barons to three goals after nine minutes – Phil Mulcahy with the final touch this time.

Two minutes into the second and the Barons pulled out the lead once more with a short handed play. Dan Mulcahy getting the honours this time with a close in shot. By a little over the half-way mark the Lions got their second as Max Hirst converted, finding the gap round Laverick. This sparked a spell of Lions confidence with the visitors siezing the initiative afforded by their second goal. This was quickly snuffed out by the Barons with a pair of quality Solihull goals. The first of these was a blistering shot from the blue line, square to goal by Marcus Maynard, while the second was a classic piece of Niklas Ottosson play with a race through neutral ice before out foxing the Lions keeper. The Barons continued to ease their lead out – Sam Chandler with a lovely backhander into the bottom left of the Nottingham net for Solihull’s 7th.

The final period showed a slowing of the scoring, with the Barons still largely controlling the game but not adding significantly to their tally. A Dan Mulcahy powerplay goal with 8 minutes of the game remaining would further bolster the home side advantage but this would be the only scoring of the final 20 and the Barons would finish the tie with a comfortable goal margin and 2 points.

The Barons had been scheduled to travel to North Wales this Sunday to take on the Deeside Dragons at their Flintshire rink. Unfortunately Deeside are still struggling to get back into their rink following its reconversion back to a leisure centre from a Covid care facility and with no ice available, the game has had to be postponed.

The Barons next tie is instead at home on Sunday 27th November against the Solway Sharks. The Dumfries side are duking it out with the Whitley Warriors at the top of the Moralee table with little to split the squads. The Barons will be making the most of their week off to ensure they are ready for perhaps the sternest home tie of the season so far. Should be a cracker – See you then ! Face-off 5.30pm.

Barons Man of the Match, Dan Mulcahy

Lions Man of the Match, Myles Keogh

Elsewhere in the League this Weekend

Blackburn Hawks 1 : Billingham Stars 4
Widnes Wild 4 : Blackburn Hawks 3