IT was a case of mixed fortunes for Widnes Wild ice hockey club at the weekend as the senior men’s team saw their Laidler Conference title challenge stutter with a 4-2 defeat away at Sheffield Senators on Saturday night before the women’s team picked up their first win of the season – a 3-2 triumph over Nottingham Vipers - at home at Silver Blades Widnes on Sunday.

The men’s game on Saturday was one to forget on many levels as the Wild had several powerplay opportunities that went begging, missed a few clear-cut chances and, at times, had to contend with some poor refereeing calls as well as an aggressively well organised opposition.

The Senators took the lead as early as the 4th minute but Wild equalised through Berwyn Hughes just three minutes later.

That lead was restored with 5 minutes go in the period after the Wild had successfully defended for all but the last 10 seconds of a Kieran Strangeway holding penalty.

The second period saw much of the same with penalties being handed out to both sides and neither team making much headway until a Will Barron strike for Widnes saw them level the scored after 25 minutes. Following this, the Wild had to defend for almost 4 minutes of 3 of 5 powerplay following a quick succession of minor penalties and, just as they had weathered that particular storm, the Senators struck again to retake the lead.

A further goal some two minutes later gave the home side a two goal cushion - which would turn out to be the winning margin.

Greg Ruxton took over from Matt Croyle in the Wild net for the remaining half of the game and no more goals were scored at either end. Widnes laid siege to the Senators goal for much of the third period but Sheffield netminder Bob Browne performed heroics to keep the attacks at bay.

The Wild cause was not helped with the absence of Tom Ratcliffe, who had been given a match penalty towards the end of the second period for leaving the players’ bench during a fracas – although many observers from both sides, felt that he did not, if fact, do so – and also Karl Niamatali who picked up an injury and had to leave the ice for a time for treatment.

That result saw Sheffield leapfrog the Wild into second place in the Laidler Conference table and other weekend results now leave Widnes 8 points adrift of league leaders Blackburn Eagles - who remain unbeaten with 9 wins from their 9 games to date.

So, with the men’s team having lost the night before, it was down to the women’s team to salvage some pride when they entertained Nottingham Vipers in the Women’s Premier League.

The team was bolstered with the return of regular captain Charlene Chapman who had missed the previous week’s home draw with Slough Phantoms and Vanessa Crickmore-Clarke, who was making her first appearance of the season, while Emma Bevan retained her place in goal.

The Vipers team were very well organised both defensively and in attack and certainly did not look like a team that had let in 30 goals in their last three games.

In fact, they even achieved a feat that no other visiting team had managed since the start of last season as they actually outshot the Wild women on their own ice 34 to 26 overall.

After a tense opening, the first goal of the game came on the cusp of 9 minutes with a brilliant solo effort by Widnes’ Lucy Kirkham to score her first goal of the new season.

With just under 5 minutes to go in the first period, the scores were level after a well taken strike by Nottingham captain Megan Rathbone but Kirkham was on target again before the break (18.35 - assisted by Beckie Elliot and Charlene Chapman) to ensure that the Wild women went back to the dressing room with their lead intact.

In the second period, the Nottingham team turned up the pressure in search of another equaliser but it was the Widnes team who were next to score when Charlene Chapman put them two goals ahead with an unassisted strike just after the half way mark.

That was the goal that would ultimately win the game for the Wild women but they had to weather a late onslaught - particularly after Vipers’ Rathbone halved the deficit with just 3½ minutes still to play.

The Widnes women’s team held on to notch up their first victory of the season and now have a break until their next WPL match which is at home to Kingston Diamonds on 27th November.

The RTL sponsored Widnes Wild men’s team are at home this Sunday 6th November when they have the chance to make up some ground on league leaders Blackburn Eagles at Silver Blades Widnes. Face off is at 5.30pm and doors open at 4.45.