NIHL North Relegation-Promotion Playoff

Sheffield cage Wild as Spartans live to fight another season in Moralee

Sheffield Spartans     5

Widnes Wild               0  

The final game of the season respectively bringing with it the high stakes of relegation and promotion for Sheffield Spartans and Widnes Wild, this fixture was of great importance to both teams as they prepared to battle it out for sixty minutes in a bid to secure their place in the Moralee Conference. Playing Whitley Warriors in a relegation-promotion playoff battle last season, Scott McKenzie’s Wild were no stranger to the expectations of the clash but Sheffield Spartans were not about to lose their spot in Division One without a fight and it showed as the Yorkshire outfit hurled themselves onto the ice to state their purpose.

In the opening minutes of the first period, Sheffield’s alternate captain Stephen Weeks took to the sin bin to serve an early roughing penalty but, so determined were the Spartans in their quest to avoid relegation, the shorthanded side were able to take the lead when player-assistant coach Stuart Brittle raced into Widnes’ defensive zone to fire a shot beyond netminder Thomas McDonald, following a pass from import Martin Finkes. Returning to full strength, the Spartans continued to see the better share of possession, outshooting their opposition by thirteen shots to five. Despite this, the Wild were still very much in the game as the Spartans held onto their narrow lead. It was only when Widnes blue liner Thomas Jackson picked up a hooking penalty on 17:55 that Sheffield were able to find the back of the net once more, the versatile Andrew Turner and forward Will Barron working together to set up centre Elliot Knell with just six seconds of the power play remaining.

Returning after the break with a 2-0 lead, the Spartans’ attempts to build on their earlier offensive endeavours was hampered when Brittle conceded a hooking penalty with less than four minutes of the period played. This penalty not yet over, Widnes were handed an even greater advantage as Sheffield’s Shaun Wild took to the sin bin for tripping. Eventually returning to four men as Brittle was reinstated, the Spartans found their playing field levelled when Widnes’ alternate captain Geoff Wigglesworth made way to serve a minor for slashing, simultaneously bringing his side’s power play to an end. Taking this opportunity to extend their lead further, Sheffield were able to claim their third of the contest when Finkes linked up with captain Ollie Barron to successfully send ‘D’ man Ross Jordan through on goal. With just over thirty minutes of the game played, a clash between Spartan Scott Morris and the Wild’s Thomas Ratcliffe saw both players sinbinned for roughing, the later conceding an additional two minutes for his actions. Chances exchanged at either end of the ice, Widnes improved on their first period performance to apply further pressure to shot stopper Brandon Stones ahead of the interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia – Ian Hanlon

A three goal deficit providing McKenzie’s line up with a great deal of work to do to make promotion possible, Sheffield quashed any chances of a comeback with a fourth goal on 41:23, Will Barron and Scott Morris delivering the puck to captain Ollie Barron who hit home to leave fans with little doubt as to who the victor of the contest would be. As the Wild found their way into the game, with an increasing number of shots on Stones’ goal including failed attempts from Chris Gee and forward Ratcliffe, it all proved to be a little too late for the Wild. Fully in control, the Spartans saw out the game with one last offensive effort, the rather ironically named Shaun Wild lighting the lamp on 58:19 courtesy of Finkes and Knell. This was not to be the last of the action though, as referee Steven Wardell was called upon to intervene when Ratcliffe’s check from behind sparked a reaction from both Turner and Weeks, earning the forward 2+10 for roughing. Also, a penalty of 2+2 for roughing against Turner and a minor for Weeks saw the duo side-lined for the remaining twenty five seconds of the game. With no further scoring from either side, the final buzzer called time on the fixture which saw Widnes miss out on promotion for a second consecutive season whilst Sheffield Spartans were relieved to hold onto their Division One status for another season following the automatic relegation of development team, Sheffield Senators. 

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