Lancashire Hawks 5 Telford Tigers 14

LANCASHIRE Hawks are playing the waiting game - but Canadian goal ace Adrian Lomonaco is unlikely to play a part in any of Hawks' end-of-season play-offs.

Hawks have heard nothing from the import, who left last month, claiming to make it back for the games.

Hawks could lose out in the long run after a disappointing opener to their end of season push, falling 5-14 to Telford Tigers at the Arena last night.

Decimated by injury, Hawks yet again found themselves outclassed by a more experienced outfit.

But to their credit they applied themselves to the cause - although effort and fight is seldom a match for skill and ability and so it proved.

"I must stick up for the guys on the ice," said player-coach Jim Pennycook, out of action with a shoulder injury.

"I can't fault their effort, their workrate or their commitment. We've had a small squad all season and injuries have caught up with us."

Hawks went into the play-offs with their slate wiped clean and the prize a Northern final in Hull, but after a hammering the road to Hull is more a road to Hell.

Hawks were forced on the back foot from the outset. They were already four down when Alan Hough slammed in the first for the home team after nine minutes.

And, once the Tigers had the Hawks in their jaws, they refused to let go. The home side held their own in the second period on the power play, but a five-minute Telford flurry took the game well out of reach.

Hawks lacked firepower up front and despite superb assaults from the likes of man of the match Simon Mills, and a magnificent display between the pipes from Brian Hollyhead - the netminder took 63 shots on Hawks' 26 - they couldn't make up for lost ground.

Period scores: 1-4, 1-6, 3-4. Goalscorers: Matt Mackriel 1+0, Dempsey 0+1, Mills 1+1, Rokala 1+2, Hough 1+1, Linsley 0+1, Haig 0+1, Plews 1+1.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.