Leeds Knights downed by Milton Keynes Lightning but long way to go in NIHL National title race

It won’t do Leeds any harm to have been knocked off the top spot, either - even if it is only temporary.

For so long now they have been the hunted without ever being caught, as their two successive regular season championships testify. It will be a nice change for Ryan Aldridge and his players to be the team doing the hunting - even if it may only for a brief spell.

It is rare for any team to get the better of the Lightning in their own rink - one defeat last season, one defeat so far this.

When Matt Haywood scored in the 25th minute on Saturday to cancel out Ross Venus’s opener for the Lightning just under three minutes earlier, there was certainly hope that Leeds could end their long wait for a win in Buckinghamshire.

The last time that happened was back in January 2023 when they enjoyed a 5-4 overtime win.

But once Callum Field replied to Haywood’s strike just 26 seconds later to put the hosts ahead again, it was always going to be difficult for Leeds to get anything from their latest trip to Elder Gate.

Not that they didn’t have their chances, out-shooting the Lightning 37-22 on the night and 24-12 over the first 40 minutes.

It was in the first five minutes of the third period where the game truly disappeared from their grasp, Corey McEwen doubling the Lightning’s lead at 42.25 and then his own tally on the night just over three minutes later to make it 4-1.

One-time Knights forward Mack Stewart made it 5-1 at 53.04 as the hosts turned the screw and even though Matt Barron was able to convert the only power play goal of the entire game at 56.45, it was little more than a consolation before Milique Martelly scored an empty-netter to add some gloss to the scoreline for the hosts.

Ahead of Sunday’s games, it saw the Lightning go top, one point ahead of Leeds.

Elsewhere, Walker Sommer scored with just nine seconds remaining to seal a 3-2 win for Sheffield Steeldogs over Swindon Wildcats.