Brittle bags hat trick as Streatham survive Jets scare

Head Coach Adam Carr received a pre-game boost when Adam Wood was cleared to play after an appeal to the EIHA was successful in reducing his suspension.

It was the hosts who would open the scoring at the Hangar with just under three minutes on the clock through youngster Jacob Soper. 

This early goal didnt signal the floodgates opening as there would be no further scoring in the opening period, with RedHawks goalie Damien King and his opposite number Matt Smital doing the business between the pipes to frustrate both sides. 

In the second period, Streatham equalised whilst shorthanded just three minutes from the restart as Ben Paynter converted a James Warman pass.

Six minutes later the travelling fans were on their feet again as Luke Brittle bagged his first of the night on the powerplay to give the visitors the lead. Any thoughts of pushing further ahead were quickly extinguished as the Jets hit back almost immediately through Juha Lindgren converting an Adam Rosbottom pass.

Undeterred, Brittle scored his second two minutes later assisted by Paynter to regain the lead for Streatham.

With two minutes to go in the period, the Jets showed once again that they wouldn’t go down without a fight, this time it was former Streatham junior Brad Hildreth the scorer, from a Soper pass.

Level at 3-3 with just twenty minutes to play, the third period began tensely with the hosts sensing a good chance at becoming only the second team to beat Streatham this season. However Brittle was clearly in the groove and completed his hat trick, assisted by Ryan Watt to make it 4-3 to the Londoners with 11 minutes to go.

Paynter scored his second to take a two goal cushion on the powerplay, but from the restart Slough pulled a goal back again, this time through Harry Harcup.

Despite having 35 shots on goal on Smital in the third period alone, Streatham would only bag two more goals before the end to seal the points as Ryan Watt and the returning Adam Wood gave the game the scoreline the shot count might have suggested.

For the hosts it was a case of what might have been. Streatham host Bracknell Hornets next, with a 6.45pm face off at Streatham Arena on Sunday evening. You can buy tickets online or on the gate: http://ticket.streatham-hockey.co.uk/o/1/dashboard