Director of coaching Terry Ward revealed some choice words in the dressing room inspired Billingham Stars to a 6-2 derby day win over Whitley Warriors.
The Ultimate Windows-sponsored Stars hit three goals in under four minutes to win a hard-fought National League (North) Moralee Division One clash at the Forum.
Their end-of-season play-off place was already mathematically certain but derby matches between the sides are always keenly contested.
Billingham got the early breakthrough when Michael Elder one-timed a pass from Callum Davies from behind the net to beat goaltender Mark Turnbull on his glove side in the fourth minute.
The goal seemed to galvanise the visitors who began to take the game to their hosts and in the seventh minute Dean Holland’s slapshot from just inside the blue line beat Stars netminder James Flavell.
Both sides’ rhythm was interrupted by a run of minor penalties and the second period continued in much the same vein, with Whitley applying the pressure but finding Flavell in imperious form between the pipes.
The Stars were handed another powerplay opportunity in the 26th minute and this time the home side punished the offence as captain Paul Windridge tapped in a Bowman pass at the far post.
Time and again Warriors were denied by man-of-the-match Flavell as they looked for a way back.
But in the opening four minutes of the final session Stars scored three quick goals to change the game completely.
Just 17 seconds in, defenceman Tom Keeley’s speculative shot from the red line caught Turnbull cold, and less than a minute later Callum Davies fired into the roof of the Whitley net before Richie Thornton one-timed a lovely set-up pass from Bowman into the unguarded net with Turnbull covering his other post.
The visitors pulled one back through Ben Richards in the 47th minute, but any hopes of a late comeback weresoon killed off less when Bowman sniped one from the right-hand face off circle.
“We expected Whitley to come and give us a game because they are a good side,” said Ward.
“In the first period they played really well and Flav had to come up with some big saves.
“In the second we took our foot off the gas a little bit and let them into the game. They worked hard and the work-rate they put in in that second period was all credit to Whitley.
“But it’s game over when you score goals that fast. We had a few words in the dressing room to make sure the lads were up for the third period and it seemed to work.
“We got out there and took our shots and did what we had to do - a strange goal from Tom Keeley with a shot from the red line that caught the goalie cold set us on our way.”
Billingham’s final home game of the regular league season is against Sutton Sting next Sunday (face-off 6.30pm).
STARS SCORERS: Michael Bowman 1+2; Callum Davies 1+1; Paul Windridge 1+0; Richie Thornton 1+0; Michael Elder 1+0; Tom Keeley 1+0; Chris Sykes 0+2; Thomas Stuart-Dant 0+2.
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