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Invicta Dynamos’ finishing wasn’t up to their usual high standards at the weekend.
Head coach Karl Lennon admitted his side’s ruthless edge has deserted them in the last two weekends. On Saturday they lost a tight game against Solent Devils before getting the better of bottom side Milton Keynes Thunder at home on Sunday.
A 4-2 defeat away to Solent was followed by a 4-1 victory against Thunder which leaves the Mos sitting fourth in the NIHL South Division 1 on a weekend where Streatham Redhawks were once again crowned league champions.
“Our finishing wasn’t good all weekend and it wasn’t the week before either,” admitted the coach. “That is a challenge for us, to find it again, because we have been pretty ruthless in previous weeks leading up to those two weekends.”
The Mos were leading Solent on Saturday after the first period.
Lennon said: “We started well and I felt quite comfortable. It was just frustrating that we didn’t score more, we could have got a couple more in that period.
“Second period I felt we were a bit tentative, a bit concerned about protecting what we had and not necessarily driven to go on and get what we wanted.”
Solent scored a goal against the run of play and then they got another one on the powerplay.
Mos were left short-handed when they lost Dan Scott to a major penalty for five minutes and Lennon was delighted that they got through that without conceding, but shortly afterwards they did let another goal in.
Lennon said: “We were then right up against it but I felt confident and we got back in the game.”
Stanislav Lascek scored to leave the Mos 3-2 down with five minutes left and in the final minute they pulled out the netminder in a bid to take it to overtime but Solent scored again.
Lennon said: “It was much closer than you could imagine, all of the games we have played against these guys there has been a goal in it, an empty-net winner, or a shoot-out win, it was just frustrating because we knew we could do it but we didn’t do it.
“They are the only team we haven’t beaten this year, which is a big frustration for us because we did beat them a couple of times last year, it is something we need to improve upon.”
On Sunday the Mos faced Milton Keynes Thunder and went 1-0 up in the first period with an effort from James Laming.
Ruskin Springer-Hughes doubled their advantage in the second period and further goals from Lascek and Tom Soar rounded off their scoring.
“It wasn’t as comfortable as we would have wanted or hoped,” said Lennon.
“They showed up and put in a solid performance and worked their socks off, they were physical in the first period in particular with us and it was only a 1-0 lead which I don’t honestly feel we deserved.
“Our second period was better and third period even better still and we managed to get the job done.
“They have turned a bit of a corner it seems in performances because they were league whipping boys for a while but scores are getting closer, but I guess they are getting better and you do get better when you’re playing better teams.”
Dynamos now have a break. Their next match is on Saturday, March 9 away to Romford Buccaneers before hosting Chelmsford Chieftains the following day in what will be their penultimate regular league game of the season.