Leeds Knights 2 face crucial weekend for NIHL North One play-off hopes
ONE LOOK at the North One Moralee table tells you how important this weekend’s game against Nottingham Lions is for Leeds Knights 2.
There are just six points between the two sides in the battle for the last play-off place, and with the two sides sitting on a win apiece from their two games, this weekend could be make or break the Knights’ play-off hopes.
Head coach Davey Lawrence is under no illusion on the importance of the clash and understands how crucial it is to get a win, with defeat likely to be a major setback to their play-off hopes.
“It’s not a six-pointer, but essentially you could say it is in terms of value,” said Lawrence, whose team first head to third-placed Telford today. “That's the team we’re chasing down, that’s the team we need to take points away from.
“We’ve got to be fully switched on, fully committed and be in it for 60 minutes – not 55, not 50, or 45 – the full 60.
“It’s up to us to manage that game, make sure we play the way we want to, not the way they want to – hopefully we can get a result out of it.”
With the Knights first team not in action on Sunday, Lawrence will have been hoping to welcome back some players who have made the step up to boost the Knights 1 side in the midst of an injury crisis. However, he admits that they will still be short.
“We'll have a few bodies back, but not to the extent I would have liked,” added Lawrence. ”We’ve got Knights 1 who are obviously chasing down that title, trying to keep that as close as possible in terms of getting as high up the ladder as they can for their play-offs.
"Certain players are going to have to be rested and not risked for injury, which doesn't help us in terms of guys doubling up.”