It was a return to the Hawks Nest this Sunday for a Blackburn side that were on the search for their eighth game unbeaten this season. Heart rates had returned to a somewhat normal level after last weekend’s ‘eventful’ game up in Billingham. With Liam Hine still on Leeds Knights duty, new signing Jack Brammer would be making his home debut in a defensive position. The forward core would be rejuvenated however, with winger Charlie Thompson returning to the match night squad after serving his one-game suspension. Making the journey from the Mersey was a Widnes Wild team in good form, sitting in midtable after an impressive away win in Hull last weekend. Another hugely important game for the early-forming title race, the Hawks looked to extend their win streak in a weekend where defending champions Billingham would drop six points as the Solihull Barons took pole position as championship contenders. On this special Halloween Spooktacular, Blackburn were dead set on scaring the rest of the league.

The Hawks came flying out of the gate, dominating early possession and pinning Widnes deep in their zone. Luca Tessadri was peppered with shots, and it wasn’t long before one slipped through. Just shy of the five-minute mark, Jacob Lutwyche carved open the Wild defence and finished coolly past the 20-year-old netminder to give Blackburn an early lead. Sensing danger, Widnes tried to rough up the rhythm but this backfired massively for the Merseyside team. A reckless check to the head from youngster Oliver Howells sent Adam Barnes crashing off the boards and onto the ice in a heap. Matching the fake bloodied faces of the fancy-dressed spectators, the cheap shot had left Barnes with a huge gash above the eye as he writhed on the ground. The Halloween horror scene forced a long stoppage while the ice was cleaned and tempers cooled. Charnock and Pollitt stood up for their wounded winger and were handed roughing penalties, while Howells was ejected and the Wild hit with a five-minute major. Thankfully, after some treatment from Blackburn’s resident sports therapist Beth Ferris, Barnes returned to the ice and looked ready to go back into the Wild.

Once action had resumed after a lengthy break, the Hawks had a man advantage. The Wild did well to defend the penalty, soaking up a lot of pressure in their zone. However, with only five seconds left on the powerplay – The Hawks doubled their lead. Fresh off his Billingham brace, Tom Barry looked to recreate last week’s heroics with a huge slapshot at the blue line. The rocket was stop by Tessadri, however the loose puck in the crease was fished out by Hajek, who then laid it off for James Riddoch to snap home. The goal was the Assistant Captain’s second point of the night after setting-up Lutwyche’s first and would bring Blackburn into the first (official) break with a two-goal lead.

The Hawks kept their talons sharp in the second, dominating possession but failing to finish their prey. Far less clinical in front of the net than in previous fixtures, Blackburn kept pummelling Tessadri, but none of them broke through. The homes side’s calm control of the game looked to slip just past the halfway mark as a blue line turnover saw the Wild’s William Daley find Aiden-Jay Herring as the high man, with acres of room up top. The 16-year-old faced down Harrison Walker in a one-on-one and with a quick snap of his wrist managed to snuff out any chances of a Hawks shutout. This goal from the two-way Peterborough Phantoms youngster lifted all on their feet in the away section and brought what had been a relatively one-sided game into a one-goal game. The rest of the period saw the Hawks get more serious in front of goal. Blackburn registered nineteen shots in twenty minutes, but it was to no avail as Widnes won the period. With the Wild finding their bite in the middle frame, the game was poised on a knife’s edge heading into the third.

The Wild’s dreams of a comeback were short-lived, as the Hawks came out for the final period like men possessed. Much the better team in the previous two periods, Blackburn set out on reflecting this one-sidedness in the scoreline. Just three minutes in and the Hawks efforts paid off. Leading by example, Captain Andy McKinney played through Liam Charnock as the winger entered Widnes’ zone. The skilled forward maintained his speed whilst dancing around former Hawk Ben McLellan to end upon the right-side of the goal. In one swift movement Charnock pulled the puck around the last defender before backhanding it into the roof of Tessadri’s net. A special goal for Charnock, he was flocked by his Hawks teammates in the celebrations, but as soon as the puck dropped for the restart, it was clear that Blackburn were hungry for more. Moments later, Charnock turned provider. Bursting down the wing, he fed a bloodied-but-battling Barnes, whose angled shot was deftly redirected by McKinney for the Hawks’ fourth. It was poetic justice for Barnes, who had quite literally bled for the badge earlier in the game. From there, it was one-way traffic. Blackburn rained over 50 shots on Tessadri in the game, dictating play from horn to horn. As the final buzzer sounded, the Hawks’ unbeaten run remained intact, their wings unruffled despite the Wild’s best efforts.

The Hawks’ Halloween heroics ensured their unbeaten streak stretched to eight games, yet for the first time this season, they’ll spend the week looking up the table rather than down. Solihull’s twin triumphs over Billingham have seen the Barons swoop into top spot, narrowly edging the Hawks despite Blackburn holding a game in hand. That advantage, however, will have to wait as next weekend the Hawks fly straight down to Hobbs Moat Road for a first clash of the season against Solihull. It promises to be a fiery encounter between the league’s top predators, with both sides eager to prove who truly rules the roost.

The Blackburn Hawks will play against the Solihull Barons @ Hobbs Moat Road on Saturday November 1st, Face-Off: 7pm

Article Courtesy of Nathan Dove

FEATURED IMAGES CREDIT: Luke Riley