Manchester’s Darren Pomfrett in action – Pic: HAGANOVA PHOTO
Manchester Mayhem 0-4 Sheffield Steel Stings
Sunday evening saw the Manchester Mayhem closing out their home programme this season with a 4-0 defeat to the Sheffield Steel Stings, as the Grocock brothers in Connor and Jack accounted for three of them, with the latter scoring twice in the third period to help condemn the Mayhem to a seventh straight league defeat and blanked for a fourth game-in-a-row. Manchester battled hard as they have done all season, but a mixture of the Stings quickness, Mayhem’s struggles on offense all contributed to their downfall.
The sides met a few weeks ago in Sheffield, when a shorter benched Manchester side lost 6-0 to their opponents. Anthony Booth was a welcome return to the line up for the home side, as the hosts looked to sign off at home on a high note. Sheffield dominated possession in the first half of the opening period, while the home side struggled to even get hold of the puck and struggled to create much when they did. Manchester, when they did come forward did have an air of dangerousness to them, but sadly for them, chances came at a premium. Their opponents’ speed was causing massive headaches for the Mayhem side, as speed was a massive weapon missing from Manchester’s arsenal.
Following a scoreless opening period between the sides, it then wasn’t too long before the game got its first goal, as Connor Grocock put the visitors ahead at 16.28, when his brother Jack saw his effort saved by Darren Pomfrett and brother Connor flipped it high up into the Mayhem’s cage for 1-0. Manchester’s best form of attack was counter-attacking, as that was proving to be a very useful tactic. However, the mix of Bryan Hackworth making some good stops in the Sheffield goal along with the Stings quicker players cutting out plays, made life difficult. Sheffield doubled their lead through captain Russ Clarke, as his shot went through traffic and under the sledge of Pomfrett for 2-0 at 24.41.
The game was quite feisty at times, with hits from both sides and a fair few calls going uncalled on both sides by the two match officials. Sheffield had claims for a goal washed out near the back end of the second period, with Mayhem’s netminder Darren Pomfrett using his stick to stop it going in, as the puck may have not have fully crossed the goal line. Play in the third saw Manchester pushing for a goal, but they were to be stifled by the away side and had the hosts working hard both defensively and on offense. Unfortunately though, two quick goals put an end to any possible comeback in the match, as Jack Grocock netted a pair in the space of thirty-two seconds to give the Stings’ a thoroughly deserved 4-0 win.
Despite Manchester showing their battling qualities while going down in defeat, the Mayhem will finish as Wooden spoonists for the first time ever, with puck luck deserting them. The side has just one more game left to play out before the season ends, as they have the tough task of facing the Sheffield Steel Kings in Sheffield next month.