Deeside Dragons defenceman Mike Jones believes the club have finally turned the corner after picking up their first win of the season on Sunday.
The Dragons enjoyed a convincing 5-0 home success over Hull Jets in a double points match, ensuring that they lifted themselves off the foot of the Laidler Conference table.
They were beaten 5-2 at Telford Titans on Saturday night, making it five defeats from five games, but Jones believes the success over the Jets has given them a platform on which to build.
“We’re really pleased that we’re up and running now after the Hull win, it’s been a while coming,” said Jones.
“Telford was a tough game and they are a bit of an unknown entity this season, but we feel that we are starting to gel as a team now, and that is pleasing.
“Before the Hull game, and even in the opening period of that game, we struggled with our confidence in front of goal.
“But once that first goal went in then you could see the confidence of the guys come back and we just kicked on from there.”
Goals from Andrew Chappell and Ryan Jones couldn’t prevent the Dragons from falling to defeat in Shropshire against the Titans on Saturday night.
But on Sunday at The Den, Simon Furnival and youngster Jack Meadows both netted twice for the hosts, with Chappell adding a fifth, to secure a precious win that inflicted the first defeat of the season on the visiting Jets.
Jones put the Dragons early season struggles down to the club being unable to play any pre-season games after scheduled matches were called off at the last minute by their planned opponents.
“It’s taken us a few game to get our fitness up to where it should be as we weren’t able to play any warm-up games,” said Jones.
“We have been at a disadvantage because of that, but I think that we are now beginning to show what we can do.
“Winning breeds confidence and the win on Sunday gives us something to build from and shows us as a team that we can compete and be a force in this league.
“I think our league position is a bit false at the moment and I think we can go on to win a lot more than we lose as the season progresses.”
The Dragons are without a game this weeken and are next in league action when they take to the ice at the Bradford Bulldogs on Saturday, October 11 (4.45pm).
