After enduring a tough start to the season, Deeside Dragons continued to show signs of improvement after picking up points on the road at the weekend.
The Dragons, who lost their first five games of the Laidler Conference season, recored a resounding 19-3 triumph at bottom side Bradford Bulldogs on Saturday before falling to a narrow 5-4 loss at high-flying Sheffield Senators the following day.
The victory over the Bulldogs, their second success of the campaign, was a welcome return to goalscoring form for the Dragons, last season’s runners-up in the league, with player-coach Steve Fellows now aiming to see his side climb the table.
“We worked really hard on Saturday against Bradford and we just couldn’t stop scoring,” said Fellows.
“Things were flowing for us and everything was clicking into place. The confidence was flowing through the team, the lines were working well and we were clinical in front of goal.
“Sunday was a bit frustrating against the Senators as I thought we had done enough to win the game but it was silly little mistakes that cost us at the end of the day, and that is something that we have to work on.”
Against the Bulldogs on Sunday, James Parsons was on target five times in the rout at the Bradford Ice Arena while Bryn Roberts hit a career-first hat-trick, Gavin Austin, Jack Meadows, Chris Jones and Simon Furnival netted braces and Aled Roberts, Paul Davies and Marc Lovell scored one apiece.
At second-placed Sheffield, the Dragons, who had Fellows, Michael Jones, Austin and Davies on target, led 4-3 with little over 10 minutes remaining but were undone by their hosts who rifled home the winner with six minutes left.
The Dragons face a trip to Coventry Blaze this Saturday (5pm) before making a return to home ice on Sunday for another clash with the Bulldogs (6.45pm), and Fellows is wanting to see his side secure a maximum return.
“There is no reason why we can’t pick up the points this weekend,” said Fellows.
“We are showing some real improvement now and we are matching some of the top sides in the league.
“This is a tight league. I think that with maybe the exception of the Solihull Barons (league leaders) anyobody is capable of beating anybody on their day.
“The trip to Coventry will be a tough one as you’re not sure what team you are going to be facing as they have had an up and down start to the season so far.
“But we have got over that slow start now and we are wanting to keep on climbing the table, starting with this weekend’s two games.”
