Invicta Dynamos came close to toppling high-flying Solent Devils in their last game before the Christmas break.

Head coach Karl Lennon admitted it was a missed opportunity as they were beaten 2-1 at Planet Ice, Gillingham.

Prior to the game the club remembered stalwart supporter Margaret Goodwin - affectionately known to many in the team as ‘mum’ - with a minute’s applause. Lennon was determined for his side to claim a win in her memory and his men got mighty close.

“I just wanted to get the win more than anything and was devastated we couldn’t,” said the coach.

“It was never going to be easy, we knew that, but we didn’t make it easy for ourselves.

"We started very slow, and maybe the fact we hadn’t played for two weeks and then we had that tough test the night before (beating Milton Keynes Thunder 4-3). We were very flat in the first period for one reason or another and it just wasn’t working.

“We gave them a two-goal lead which doesn’t help but as the game went on we found a bit of form, scored a goal in the second to get back within touching distance and were trying to find some quality to make that equaliser and we just couldn’t get it.

“They are very tactically astute, they play positionally very well, they get into spaces which makes it difficult to get clean passes through and they had a fantastic goalie who played exceptionally well. That made it hard for us to score and super frustrating for us as the game went on

“They are second placed and a 2-1 scoreline is not so bad in a hockey context, but it is a missed opportunity if I am honest, we could have had four points over the weekend. I don’t think they were better than us on the night, we just couldn’t score and they did, if we hadn’t given them a two-goal headstart it might have been different.”

Mrs Goodwin’s sons were in the crowd at the Gillingham ice rink on Sunday night and Lennon led the tributes to the super fan who died on the morning of the game.

“It was horrible,” Lennon said. “As an 18-year-old I remember getting on the coach to away games and they would be there following us around the country and supporting the team.

“The minute’s applause was very emotional for us all. I spoke to the boys before the game about how unwavering she was in her positive support for the club, never was there a moment where they (the family) would dig a player or a coach out, she was always very supportive and encouraging.

“When you lose someone like that it is devastating for the team and of course for their family and we can only offer them our condolences.

"It was a sad day but a nice way to celebrate her before the game with the applause, immaculately carried out. She would have wanted her sons to have been there, that is how much she loved the club. Her sons are our loudest supporters, they drive the passion from the crowd during game days, it was a tough night for them and for us.”

Having trailed 2-0 after the first, the Mos got one back through Stanislav Lascek, assisted by Josh Condren. Lennon’s men competed well against the second placed team but were unable to find the net again.

They had gone into Sunday’s game off the back of a 4-3 win away to bottom placed Milton Keynes Thunder.

MK held a 2-1 lead going into the third period before the Mos clinched it.

“As ugly as it might have been, we got it in the end so we were happy,” said the coach.

Lennon felt his side’s sluggish start wasn’t helped by the journey to MK and the two-week break before that. The hosts were also stronger than the side who they had beaten 11-4 in their last match before their mini-break, adding extra experience to a deeper roster.

Lennon said: “We still kept the puck well, we out-shot them 30-10 or something like that first period, but we couldn’t put the puck in the net.”

Mos found themselves one-down at the end of the first period and although Tom Long got them level, the hosts found another to lead again.

“Second period we got ourselves into a bit of penalty trouble, taking needless penalties that weren’t necessary,” said the coach, who added: “The officials helped in that as well, they didn’t call them in the right way with some of the decisions.

“Thankfully the boys put it together in the third period, we scored a few nice goals.”

Ruskin Springer-Hughes, who was back from injury, scored on his return while imports Lascek and Juraj Huska netted well-taken efforts in the third period. Thunder closed the gap to 4-3 to make for a hairy last minute but the Mos hung on.”

The Dynamos - fifth placed in NIHL South Division 1 - return to the ice to face Solent Devils away on Saturday, January 7 and home to Oxford City Stars the following day.