A former Premier League goalkeeping great was no match for the Invicta Dynamos on Sunday.

Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star Petr Cech, 40, signed semi-professional terms with the Chelmsford Chieftains ice hockey team this season but they were on the end of a 6-3 defeat against the Dynamos in NIHL South Division 1.

The sight of the legendary footballer netminding was a boost for the Mos, who had already won twice at the Riverside this season, before enjoying another victory over their old rivals to maintain their unbeaten start to the year.

“The boys were quite happy to put a goal past an international footballer,” said the Mos coach Karl Lennon.

“It was quite a unique experience. They will have a story to tell when they are older, it was really cool.”

Cech had been playing for Guildford before stepping up a level and impressing his new team since his arrival in November.

Lennon said: “Of course we were happy to score against him but I think he has made a big difference to their team in recent weeks, not in just performances, but his professionalism.

“It is good for the sport to have him involved, he brings a level of professionalism to their organisation and it is an exciting thing for the fans to see too because it is unique, you don’t see it very often where players transition from one sport to another and seemingly being capable in both.”

The Dynamos’ own netminder, Owen Rider, is half of Cech’s age but has been a revelation in recent weeks, with a standout performance to help the Mos progress to the South Cup final last weekend and claiming his first professional shut-out on Saturday, in a 4-0 win over the Oxford City Stars.

Rider is a homegrown talent and Lennon has been delighted with his contribution.

He said: “To claim a shut-out is huge and testament to the performance of Owen in goal which at the moment have been nothing short of exceptional.

“That was his first senior career shut-out, a great moment and a great point for him in his career.

“He had a really tough start to the season where as a 19-year-old lad coming in as a no.1 goalkeeper, he was probably feeling the pressure that comes with it, especially in a team like us that is steeped in a bit of tradition and history.

"He struggled to adapt to start with but with constant support and development he has managed to play his way back into form and these last few weeks he has been outstanding.

“Owen is Invicta through and through. I remember when I was playing he would be walking around the ice rink in his Dynamos shirt at the age of three or four. I played with his dad who is general manager of the team now, we don’t push away our own, we look after them and develop them. We give them an opportunity and a chance.

“At 19 you don’t know everything but you can definitely improve. He has most definitely done that and he has progressed. The performances in the semis last week and this week was outstanding, he is very much on the front-foot and we are going to push and support him every step of the way.”

With the Mos following up that result with a 6-3 win at Chelmsford, it completed a maximum four-point weekend and lifted the team up to fourth in the table.