Frustrations continue as Seahawks seek return to form
Hull Reckitt Seahawks v Swindon Wildcats – 24/11/2024
The Hull Reckitt Seahawks’ winless run at the Hull Ice Arena was extended to three games on Sunday after a 5-2 loss to the Swindon Wildcats.
The defeat to the Wiltshire side came on the back of a narrow 6-5 reverse to the Solway Sharks, last weekend, and a 9-5 humbling at the hands of the Milton Keynes Lightning the week before.
In his post-match interview, Head Coach, Matty Davies, admitted to being slightly lost for words by his team’s recent form. The Seahawks are without a doubt in a tough place at the moment, with the team having not won a game since the 1-0 victory over the Peterborough Phantoms at the start of November.
“The drop-off in our performances between the start of the season and now is unbelievable,” said Davies.
“Unfortunately, the last few games have had a familiar storyline. We start slowly, manage to get back into the game, get level and even go-ahead but then we look frightened. Frightened to go on and win. Frightened of doing the right things, at the right time.
“The lads are trying, I can’t fault them for that, but we are lacking the kind of intensity and aggression that I want my team to show.
“At the moment, I don’t really identify with what we are doing or how we are playing. However, I am in charge, and I take full responsibility.
“We’ve got more about us than what we are showing. We need to bring energy back into our game. The fans deserve that and a lot more.”
The Seahawks were again without injured defenceman, Lee Haywood, and, despite bringing in defensive reinforcements in the shape of Tommy Spraggon; on a two-way deal with the Billingham Stars; were short at the back and unable to provide ‘the balance’ that Davies says his team desperately needs to snap the current winless streak.
The past three matches have seen the Seahawks yo-yo between conceding too easily and failing to make chances count.
It is this kind of frustrating form that made for a tense atmosphere on Sunday and the Seahawks were hoping for an early goal to settle everyone’s nerves.
However, the first real chance of the match fell the way of Wildcats’ forward, Chris Jones, who saw a 1-v-1 breakaway effort end with the puck clanging off the ironwork.
Awoken by the ringing of Jordan McLaughlin’s goal post, the Seahawks went in search of the game’s opening goal, with Lee Bonner standing out as Hull’s most creative outlet in attack.
The forward caused a number of headaches for the Swindon defence, as well as Renny Marr in the Wildcats’ goal who was drawn into several saves to keep the game scoreless.
However, it would not remain that way for long.
At 09:01, Luc Johnson scored the period’s only goal, beating McLaughlin from close range on his blocker side, assisted by Reed Sayers and Glenn Billing.
The Wildcats nearly went close to making it a two-goal lead in the 15th minute, when Canadian defenceman, Ryan Wells, struck the goal post again for Swindon.
To the relief of most of the fans at Hull Arena, the first period intermission came and the score was only 1-0 to the Wildcats.
While they were keen to find a way back into the contest in the second period, the Seahawks hamstrung themselves with a succession of penalties, starting with Dimitri Zimozdra being called for two-minutes for illegal equipment while on the bench.
Having successfully killed that penalty, the Seahawks found themselves down a man again when Calum McGill was given two minutes for tripping, on 32:15, to put the Wildcats on the powerplay.
Things then got even worse for Hull on 33 minutes, when Jordan Fisher was controversially given a two-minute penalty for delaying the game. The forward protested his innocence all the way to the penalty box, claiming that the puck had bounced off him before hitting the netting.
What could be described as a harsh call handed Swindon a 5-on-3 advantage, which they took full opportunity of through Edward Bradley, on 34:07, assisted by Aaron Nell and Tomasz Malasinski, to take the Wildcats into the second period break 2-0 up.
Much like the Seahawks, Swindon have struggled for form of late and have been particularly guilty of not seeing games out.
A lively end to the second period and to the start of the third had Seahawks fans hoping this was the game when the team would turn everything around.
At 46:55, a shot from the blue line deflected off Marr and fell kindly to the stick of James Spurr who scored the rebound, assisted by Jason Hewitt and Bonner, to halve the deficit for Hull.
The comeback was on.
After a disciplined performance, Swindon decided it was their turn to make use of the penalty box.
At 49:41, Jake Bricknell was given a two-minute penalty for slashing and seconds later, at 49:58, the Seahawks found the equalising goal through Owen Sobchak, assisted by Bobby Chamberlain and Emil Svec, on the powerplay to make it 2-2.
Despite showing patience and skill to get back into the match, the Seahawks seemed nervous.
As they tried to seize the momentum, Swindon stepped onto them and restored their lead with Bradley’s second goal of the match, on 53:33, with a shot through traffic.
Balint Pakozdi than netted the Wildcats’ fourth, on 54:14, and Bricknell added a fifth with a wraparound goal, on 56:17, to condemn the Seahawks to their third home defeat of the season.
“We’re in a seriously bad spell at the moment,” said Davies.
“Confidence is low among the team and everything is feeling that bit more difficult.
“We got back into the game towards the end of the second period and at the start of the third, but the same mistakes keep happening.
“When we were at 2-2, we looked rushed and scared by it.”
Speaking about the opposition, Davies anticipated it was going to be a close contest.
“They are a good team. Tonight was always going to be tight, but for much of the game I felt like we were in it.
“Swindon aren’t involved in a lot of high-scoring matches. They know what they are doing and play hard around their own net.”
Looking ahead to the next round of fixtures, away at Bristol Pitbulls, on Saturday, and against the Berkshire Bees, at home, on Sunday, Davies has urged his players and Seahawks fans to re-focus for now.
“We need to take this a game at a time. It is less about the big picture at the minute, because we are having to battle for points.
“We’ve had success against Bristol and Berkshire this season and, while I and the team are under no illusions as to the task at hand, we need to get back to playing our own game. This weekend’s matches provide us with that opportunity.”
By Mark Bateman
