Leeds Knights find their way again to see off threat from Telford Tigers

The Knights had been good value for their 2-0 lead after 20 minutes at Elland Road but had allowed the Tigers to draw level in what head coach Aldridge labelled a “sloppy” second period.

Although the Knights had a lready managed to get their noses back in front again through Balint Pakozdi late in the second period, Aldridge’s subsequent words in the intermission clearly did the trick.

The Knights came out for the third looking like the team that had impressed in the first 20 minutes, with a fourth goal from youngster Danny Harrison in the 47th minute helping settle the encounter.

“I thought the boys were brilliant for the first 20 minutes,” said Aldridge ahead of a tricky trip to Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday evening. “We were relentless, we were first to pucks, and good around the net.

“Then I thought we were pretty sloppy for the middle period before we found our feet again in the last eight minutes - but it was a case of job done.

“I’d said in the period break that I thought we were really good in the first period and that we had to keep playing the same way. (After the second period) I just said that we had to be better and we managed to find a way in the third.”

On the back of last week’s come-from-behind win against Bristol Pitbulls at The Castle, Leeds couldn’t have got off to a better start in front of a near-2,000 crowd, Owen Sobchak picking his spot after good build-up play by Innes Gallacher and Matt Bissonnette after just 56 seconds.

Liam Peyton put further distance between the teams when he beat Brad Day at his near post from the right circle on the power play with just five seconds of the period remaining.

But Telford - who stunned the Knights at home on the opening night of the season with a 7-4 win - showed why they are a top five team when they got back in the game through Rhodes Mitchell-King’s shot through traffic just 21 seconds into the second period.

They were level in the 36th minute when import defenceman Caelan McPhee provided a pinpoint finish from the left circle after being teed up by fellow Canadian Eric Henderson.

But the Knights were quick to respond when handed a power play opportunity soon after with Harry Ferguson being called for hooking.

It took just 10 seconds for them to take advantage when Pakozdi had time to pick his spot from the right circle to make it 3-2 at 36.48.

Sam Gospel was kept busy most of the night by an impressive Telford, with both goalies grateful to their respective posts and crossbars on the handful of occasions they were beaten.

With the game still hanging in the balance, Bissonnette tried to beat Day at his near post on a wraparound only to be denied, but the puck broke kindly for Harrison to fire home from close range for his second goal in as many games to give the Knights a two-goal lead they saw the game out with.