ICE HOCKEY: FLINTSHIRE Freeze player-manager Mark Stokes admits it was the points and not the performance that he will remember from Sunday's 8-5 victory at Sunderland Chiefs.
With the Wearsiders languishing near the bottom of Division One (North), the form guide suggested the defending champions would comfortably brush them aside.
Yet as Stokes predicted in the buildup, Sunderland made his North East Wales outfit work hard for the two points.
He said: 'It wasn't a particularly good match. I thought they tried their best to close off our game but we stuck to the game plan and came away with the points.
'I wouldn't say we were at our best and we know we'll have to improve when we play Sheffield on Sunday.'
Sheffield Scimitars are the favourites to take the league crown from the Freeze, having won all eight of their games this season - including a 7-3 success over the Deesiders in September.
The Freeze sit third in the standings, one point behind their weekend opponents in second. Nottingham Lions top the table, but have played three more games than Sheffield. Face-off on Sunday is 6.30pm.
