Invicta Dynamos are through to the NIHL South League Cup final after defeating the Solent Devils.

Karl Lennon’s team returned to Gillingham locked at 5-5 after Saturday's first leg in Gosport before a thrilling 5-1 home victory last night (Sunday) sealed a 10-6 aggregate win and a place in next month’s final, against the Chelmsford Chieftains.

Head coach Lennon saluted his players but also thanked the fans for their support over the weekend.

“Across the weekend our fans were incredible,” he said. “We had 60-80 fans that travelled to Solent on Saturday and in that rink it makes a huge difference, it was incredible, absolutely brilliant.

“On Sunday (in Gillingham) I don’t think I have felt like that in that building, probably for 10 years, from the moment we got on the ice, it was a lump in the throat situation where you can’t believe how relentless they were throughout the whole game.

“The performance from the players matched theirs and it made it more intense as the game went on, at the end everyone was just overwhelmed. It was something special to see. We have had a tough few years as a club and that was special, really special.”

Saturday’s first-leg opener was a tit-for-tat affair, the Mos edging the first period with a 3-2 lead thanks to goals from Stanislav Lascek (2) and Tom Soar.

Solent went 4-3 up in the second before Taylor Chard levelled it up. The hosts hit a fifth but it was level again going into the final period as Ruskin Springer-Hughes struck.

A tense last period ensued and a broken door on the Mos bench led to a 30 minute delay.

Lennon said: “It was a bit of a challenge for the guys to maintain composure and belief. We had a penalty to kill as well at the stage, with 30 seconds left of that, but we managed to navigate that and played the last five minutes out without any real dramas and a plan executed to perfection, the boys were outstanding.

“We stuck together, played together and got the result, I was very happy.”

The Mos still had plenty to do on home ice against a Solent side who have enjoyed plenty of success away from their own rink. But Lennon’s side started strongly and never looked back.

Lennon said: “We have had some really outstanding performances away from home and at home we have had good ones but against the big teams we had fallen short of a win, I said to the boys 'what better time to do it?'

“We had to win to get to the final, we had to show up or we would not get there, they started exceptionally well in the first period, with intensity and real endeavour but couldn’t get that goal. We had to remember that composure and if we kept going at them they wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

In the second period the Mos hit four unanswered goals through Lascek, Brandon Chard, Richard Harris and Tom Long. Harris got his second in the third period in reply to a power-play effort from the visitors.

Lennon said: “The boys were outstanding, the whole night, every player on Saturday and Sunday gave everything and that is what playing for this club means, give everything you have every time you go on the ice, that is non-negotiable, it is fundamental, if you can do that you can be successful and it is about applying themselves, which they did.”