Deeside Dragons coach Lol Paul claims Saturday night’s dramatic 3-2 win over Widnes Wild could be the catalyst for a run to Laidler Conference glory.
Paul’s side struck late on to snatch victory against their local rivals, taking them to within two points of league leaders Nottingham.
Deeside still have two games in hand over the Lions, as they prepare for next weekend’s visit of strugglers Bradford Bulldogs.
And Paul believes the manner of their success against Widnes will give his men a timely confidence boost.
He said: “It was probably the best we’ve played all the season. Everything we worked on in training came out and we stuck to our game plans.
“Keeping our plan in place was really important, especially against a side like Widnes. Everyone had a part to play, they did it well and put in a massive effort.
“It was the biggest crowd we’ve had all season and the atmosphere was fantastic. All the fans I talked to said they were on the edge of their seats.
“I never lost faith in the product on the ice and on Saturday night, the guys were great. They ground out the win and showed they wanted it the most.”
James Parsons was on target after just three minutes against the Wild, as he tipped in a rebounded shot from Filip Supa.
The visitors equalised at the start of the second session, before Adrian Palak restored Deeside’s advantage on 44 minutes.
Scott McKenzie ensured a dramatic finish with an equaliser three minutes later – but it was Marc Lovell who secured victory with his side’s third powerplay goal on 58 minutes.
Paul added: “For much of the last ten minutes, Widnes had their two top scorers in the box and then tried pulling their netminder right at the end.
“We hit the post a few times, so we could have scored a few more. As a coach, it was stomach-churning to watch at the end, but the crowd must have loved it.
“I said to the lads that we must keep our foot on the gas now. We need to train harder, keep pushing ourselves and see what we can achieve.”
The Dragons are back in home action on Saturday night when they welcome Bradford Bulldogs to the Deeside Ice Rink (7pm).
