Leeds Knights: Road resilience rocks Romford Raiders as battle for NIHL National supremacy hots up
LEEDS KNIGHTS proved once again they can deal with adversity when twice coming from behind to inflict a first home defeat of the season on Romford Raiders.
The Knights – who take on Milton Keynes Lightning at Elland Road on Sunday night – headed down to Essex without captain Kieran Brown in their ranks, suspended for two games after the defeat at Hull Seahawks last Sunday.
Romford - under the guidance of player-coach Adam Laishram, who was appointed in the summer - have been the surprise package so far this season and went into the game level on points with the Knights, with a game in hand.
Both teams had seen Milton Keynes go top the night before through their 6-3 win at home to Bristol Pitbulls and so were well aware of how important points would be at the Sapphire.
The Knights fell behind early when the Raiders pounced while on the penalty kill, Jake Sylvester beating Sam Gospel at 5.57 while his team-mate Jacob Ranson was in the penalty box on a hooking call.
That was how it stayed until after the halfway mark when Oli Endicott levelled for the visitors at 34.35.
But the Knights found themselves chasing the game again early in the third period when, with Endicott’s 2+2 penalty for high sticking about to expire, the Raiders top points-scoring forward - import Shaun Miller - edged them ahead on the power play at 41.48.
The Knights couldn’t make a power play opportunity count shortly after when Elliott Dewey was called for hooking, but they were able to haul themselves level for a second time as the game entered the final 10 minutes.
Matt Haywood was the man to strike, beating Ethan James at 51.28 with his sixth goal of the season.
With overtime looming large, the Knights struck the next crucial blow, Haywood combining with Matt Bissonnette to set up Matt Barron, who beat James to make it 3-2 with just 130 seconds left on the clock.
As the Raiders pushed for a way back, James was understandably pulled from net, leaving the way open for Bissonnette to make it three assists for the night when he set up Haywood to seal both points with just 14 seconds remaining.