LEEDS KNIGHTS were denied a maximum return but still took three valuable points from their NIHL National play-off derby weekend double-header against Hull Seahawks.
A hard-fought 1-0 win courtesy of an Oli Endicott strike just over two minutes from time at The Castle on Saturday was followed up by a 4-3 overtime loss in Hull the following night.
It leaves the Knights on six points and top of Group B going into their final round of games against Milton Keynes Lightning.
Hull, the Lightning and Telford Tigers all sit two points back meaning there is plenty at stake for all four teams in the race to make it to the SkyDome Arena on Saturday, April 18.
As expected the Knights and the Seahawks produced two compelling games, with no quarter given on either night.
On Saturday, it was literally too close to call in a game dominated by the rival netminders Sam Gospel and Aleksanteri Heiskanen - but it was the Hull goalie who was eventually beaten.
After Kieran Brown and Edgars Vengis had carved out good chances for themselves in the third period, the crucial, match-winning blow came shortly after, Endicott keeping the puck in the Seahawks zone and finding Daragh Spawforth, whose great work down low led to a wraparound attempt which was denied by Heiskanen only for the rebound to be converted by Endicott driving the net at 57.41.
Heiskanen was pulled with 67 seconds remaining but it was to no avail as the Knights saw the game out for two crucial points.
It was similarly combative the following night in Hull, while the goals were more free-flowing - particularly in the second period.
It was the Knights who got the go-ahead goal again, this time Balint Pakozdi finding space down the right before squaring the puck to Liam Peyton who forced the puck past Heiskanen from close range at 11.37.
Just over a minute shy of the halfway mark Lee Bonner then produced a searing drive down centre ice before sliding the puck under Gospel to make it 1-1.
The equaliser sparked a frantic seven-minute spell which produced four goals, the Knights forging ahead again at 31.32 when Kieran Brown picked up a loose pass out from the back before producing a similarly neat finish as Bonner against Heiskanen.
A face-off win then saw the puck fed to Jason Hewitt who fired through traffic and past Gospel just under two minutes later, although the Knights were quick with their own response when Jordan Griffin made the most of driving deep into the Seahawks’ zone when he squeezed the puck home from close range between Heiskanen and his right-hand post to make it 3-2 at 35.21.
The third period was just under two minutes old when the Seahawks levelled for a third time, Jack Musil finding himself free at the back post to beat Gospel when he fired into the roof of the net.
There were further chances at both ends but both goalies stood tall.
Just under three minutes into overtime, Brown was sent to the box having been penalised for high sticks and it was an opportunity the hosts didn’t waste, Johnny Corneil finding Emil Svec all alone in the right circle from where he beat Gospel with a stinging drive to take the extra point and keep Hull’s Coventry hopes alive.
