Leeds Knights: Kieran Brown’s four-goal blast still not enough to end losing run as curtain comes down on debut campaign

Back then, under head coach Dave Whistle, the Knights trounced Bees IHC 7-1 in the opening fixture of their Autumn Cup campaign.

On Sunday night in Slough, Leeds were edged out 8-7, a horrendous seven minutes at the end of the second period their undoing when they conceded five goals, consigning them to a seventh straight defeat.

But that shouldn’t take anything away from a season in which the team put together by owner Steve Nell has made great strides, a runners-up spot in the Autumn Cup followed by a fourth-place league finish.

The play-off campaign never really got going after suffering a 5-0 defeat in the post-season opener at Milton Keynes Lightning and they couldn’t arrest the decline over three long, tough weeks. Twice they held the lead last night, but it was just not meant to be.

Domink Gabaj took just 18 seconds into a first-minute power play brought about a tripping call on Ben Solder to give the hosts the lead with just 55 seconds on the clock.

But the Knights matched their rivals blow for blow in the first 20 minutes, levelling through Kieran Brown at 2.42 before falling behind again when Joshua Smith fired past Sam Gospel at 5.37, a power play effort brought about by a too-many-men call.

Cole Shudra equalised soon after, only for Juha Lindgren to make it 3-2 at 12.02. The Knights went into the first intermission level, however, thanks to Ethan Hehir’s strike at 19.39.

Harry Gulliver put the visitors ahead for the first time early in the second, Smith levelled at 33.33, only for Brown to make it 5-4 18 seconds later.

But four goals in four minutes ended the Knights’s hopes of a first play-off win, Adam Rosbottom, Zaine McKenzie, Alan Lack and Smith’s hat-trick strike all making it a miserable night for Gospel.

The Knights netminder was replaced by Niks Trapans for the third and, even though Brown took his team to within one with just over 10 minutes remaining, not even a four-goal night for the 21-year-old could prevent another defeat.