SUNDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2025
Split weekend for Streatham Redhawks
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham split this past weekend’s games with a win on the road and a defeat at home on Sunday.
Saturday the Redhawks came away from Solent with a hard fought 3-2 win over the Solent Devils. Danny Ingoldsby, Ziggy beesley and JJ Pitchley with the goals for the RedHawks putting them 3-0 up before, Liam Coleman and Alex Murray scoring two in the late stages to fight back for the hosts. But Streatham would hold on for the win.
Sunday saw the RedHawks host the Slough Jets in a game with implications for the closing stages of the league title chase. As the Jets sat 3 points ahead of Streatham at the top of the league. But with the RedHawks holding 2 games in hand advantage, it was a must win for both sides.
Both sides would test the netminders in the early going, with both Matt Smital and Danny Milton in the Streatham net and Matt Smital in the jets net having to make big saves early on.
Streatham would score the first goal of the game at 427 on the clock. Henry Aiken long range shot finding the bottom corner of Smitals net off a face off.
The Jets would apply pressure in response, an elbowing penalty by Danny Ingoldsby at 11:22. Would give the Jets a powerplay, that would be converted at 12:53 by former Redhawk Ben Ealey Newman. Tieing things up at 1-1.
Ingoldsby would make amends for gifting the Jets the powerplay 2 minutes later at 1457. Linking up with line mates Damon Porter and JJ Pitchley, Ingoldsby would hammer home a rebound off Smital to put Streatham back in front 2-1
The Jets would once again capitalize on a powerplay early in the 2nd period. Jacob Minter converting at 2709 to tie the game at 2-2.
Streatham would once again fire back 2 minutes later. A returning Josh Ealey Newman would find space in on Smital and fire the puck high glove side into the net at 2944 to make it Streatham 3-2 Slough heading into the break.
Streatham would find themselves on the backfoot at the start of the 3rd. Already killing a roughing penalty to Brendan Baird from the end of the 2nd period. At 4017 on the clock a delay of game call against Sam Waller would put the RedHawks on a 5 on 3 penalty kill.
While the Redhawks would survive, the Jets would build momentum on the powerplay and at 45:17 Christian Mohr would score to equalize for the Jets 3-3.
This game tying goal would put the Jets in the ascendancy with all the momentum and a sustained period of pressure on the Streatham net would see them rewarded. Following a hooking penalty against Henry Aiken at with a go-ahead goal at 52:12. 2 minutes later at 54:42, Seb Mohr would convert to put the Jets ahead by one at 4-2
Streatham would throw all they could at Smital, looking to tie the game up. But at 59 minutes, pulling netminder Milton for the extra attacker would backfire. As Dylan Holicka would block Ryan Watts shot attempt and break to score the empty netter. To seal the game 5-3 Jets.
A 3 point weekend is far from a disaster, however a loss to a title contending rival that gives the Jets a 6 point cushion will not have been the outcome the Redhawks wanted for the weekend. They still hold 2 games in hand on the Jets, making a comeback possible. But that comeback has become reliant on other sides taking points off the Jets.
Up next for Streatham it’s the Swindon Wildcats on Saturday 8th February, facing off at 1730 on the High Road. Before a crunch match with Chelmsford on Sunday 9th at the Riverside in Chelmsford.