AFTER picking up a valuable two points on the road to Nottingham last weekend, the Widnes Wild returned to Silver Blades Widnes to play host to the Bradford Bulldogs.

The previous evening the Bulldogs sent shockwaves through the NIHL2 Laidler Conference by drawing 5-5 at home with league contenders Deeside Dragons.

A result that could affect the outcome of the league further down the line.

The first period started frantically and it was clear to see how the Bulldogs had managed to get such a good result the previous evening.

With a lot of young players on their side, their commitment and hard work makes it very difficult for opponents to break them down.

It was however, the Wild that broke the deadlock, a lovely set play saw captain Shaun Dippnall hit player coach Scott Mckenzie with a stretch pass leaving him 1 on 1 with a Bradford defenceman, Mckenzie slipped by the defenceman and deked the goalie to put the Wild 1-0 up. The Bulldogs showed great tenacity and managed to get a goal back before the break making it a tied period at 1-1.

A closely fought first session saw both teams having 14 shots a piece. The second period is when the Wild started to take full control. Two more goals from Scott Mckenzie gave the Wild a deserved 3-1 lead. A scuffle at the end of the period saw the Wild gain a valuable powerplay at the beginning of the 3rd period. Within 30 seconds of the start the Wild took the wind out of the sails of Bradford. A Calum Ruddick wrist shot beating the Bulldogs goalie to give the Wild a 4-1 lead and full momentum. Further goals from Scott Mckenzie, Shaun Dippnall & another from Ruddick made it 7-1 with a late scrappy goal for Bradford making the final score 7-2 to the rampant Widnes Wild.

A content coach Mckenzie had this to say about his team’s performance;

‘I think we played well in patches. When we play to our system, we are very tough to break down and create a lot of opportunities on the rush, but equally when we get away from it, we really hurt ourselves and look a little lost. It is tough but as a coach I have to be super critical of the guys. I want us to win and be successful but we also have to develop and make sure that we are not standing still. Every game in this league is difficult and we need to make sure that when we have a plan, we stick to it.’

Mckenzie continued;

‘This weekend is a really important one for us and will really show us where we are as a team. It is time to step up as men and take hold of what is in front of us.’

With another 2 points banked, the Wild take ownership of 3rd place in the league just behind Deeside Dragons and Nottingham Lions. A win against their local rivals Deeside on Saturday would see them leapfrog the Dragons into 2nd place with games in hand to catch Nottingham. The next few weeks could be interesting for Wild fans that’s for sure.