WIDNES Wild came home for the first time of 2016 to play against local rival Altrincham Aces.

This would be the final meeting between the two sides, the previous encounters saw the Wild win two and draw the other. The Widnes Wild faithful were expecting a tough battle with their being no love lost in the previous games.

The first period started at a high intensity with both teams working hard to create an early advantage. Eventually it would be the Wild that would get on the scoresheet first, a Kieron Strangeway wrist shot taking a deflection and landing of the stick of Scott Mckenzie who fired home giving the home side a 1-0 lead.

Some great saves backed up with solid defending would keep the Aces at bay and with 30 seconds to go in the period, captain Shaun Dippnall would find Geoff Wigglesworth open in the high slot to smash home his first and the Wild’s second of the evening.

Tempers would flare straight after the goal with a coming together at the Aces bench, eventually the only penalty decided would be on the Wild Head Coach Scott Mckenzie, a 2+10 for Abuse of Official would see him miss a large part of the 2nd period.

Without their Coach on the ice for 12 minutes some would say that the Wild would struggle.

Not this team. A Geoff Wigglesworth powerplay goal and a Shaun Dippnall wrap around would extend the Wilds lead to 4-0. As Mckenzie was released, ill-discipline from the Aces would give the Wild a further powerplay opportunity, Mckenzie finding space to fire low to make it 5-0. The Wild defence were excellent all game and they were to be rewarded, Calum Ruddick turning the puck over at the blue line finding Michal Fico who returns the puck back to the Wild Assistant Captain and he shoots high past the Altrincham netminder to end the period 6-0 to the Wild. A coming together would see Danny Bullock & Lee Kemp drop the gloves with two Aces players with both receiving minor penalties, the Wild however would start the 3rd period on the penalty kill.

Even with 4 players the home side were a threat. Geoff Wigglesworth sealing his hat-trick, Mckenzie turning the puck over and finding the Wild marksman who shoots low to make it 7-0. A scrappy goal for the Aces made it 7-1 but almost straight away Geoff Wigglesworth got his 4th of the night, an exact copy of his hat-trick goal firing across the goalie low into the net, 8-1 the scoreline.

#With 10 minutes to go the Wild would change netminders.

The ever present Greg Ruxton would leave his net to be replaced by Josh Benstead who would finish the game without conceding.

Only one more goal would come and it would come by way of penalty shot. Scott Mckenzie would step up to compete his hat-trick and the scoring for the night, 9-1 to the home side sending the fans home delighted with their players performance.

On Saturday the Wild travelled up to Billingham to play their first NIHL Cup game of the season against a Moralee Conference 5th placed team Billingham Stars. The Wild acquitted themselves brilliantly, playing against a team in a league above them and only travelling with 13 out skaters and 1 goalie, the Wild would keep it close right until the end of the game but tired legs would eventually see them on the wrong side of a 7-3 scoreline. A great effort by all of the players as well as the tremendous amount of fans that made the trip to support the team.

The Widnes Wild are back in home action this Sunday evening to play the Coventry Blaze. Face-off is at the usual time of 17:30.