IT promised so much but, in the end, delivered so little as Blackburn Hawks were blown away by Solihull Barons in the Midland Cup final.

After the drama and excitement of the first leg in Blackburn where the teams fought out a thrilling 7-7 in front of more than 1500 supporters, the Barons were just too strong 24 hours later as they stormed to an 11-0 win to seal an 18-7 aggregate victory.

Hawks player/coach James Neil said it was vital his side were still in the final at the half way stage and that was certainly the case as they fought back from 7-5 down in the last period to make sure they headed to the Midlands on level terms.

It was a fitting climax to a first leg where neither side could be separated over the three periods.

Cheered on by a bumper crowd in Blackburn - thanks to the Hawks community project team visiting schools and clubs in the local area - the home side went ahead with Corey Lee opening the scoring.

But their one-goal lead was soon wiped out as the Barons made a run of three goals from Callum Bowley, Thomas Soar and Nicklaus Ottoson to go 3-1 up.

But the Hawks thrived under pressure and retaliated with two successful wicked shots of their own courtesy of Lee Pollitt and Czech import Petr Valusiak to finish the period all square.

In the second period, the teams traded two goals apiece with the Hawks again coming from behind on each occasion.

Matt Maurice put the visitors ahead only for Pollitt to bring the Hawks back on level terms.

And goals by Andy Whitehouse for the Barons and Valusiak for the Hawks made sure the second period ended level pegging.

Solihull then stamped their authority on the game with a brace of goals in the first two minutes of the final period from Dan Mulcahy and Tom Soar.

But the Hawks, as they had done throughout the first leg, refused to lie down and were soon back in the game as they claimed two goals in quick succession from player/coach James Neil and Joe Greaves to re-balance the score board.

A winning goal remained elusive for both teams though there were many close calls and the Hawks and the Barons headed to Hob’s Moat Road with the final finely poised.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, the Barons dominated the first quarter - flourishing on home ice and with five more outskaters than their visitors - and they never looked back.

Goals from Marcus Maynard and Andrew Whitehouse put the Barons 9-7 up on aggregate but the real damaged was done in the second quarter.

The home side scored seven unanswered goals - a trio from Mulcahy, and a brace from Richard Slater in the space of just 25 seconds were bookended by a goal earlier from David Rogers and a second later in the second period from Andy Whitehouse to give them a more than commanding lead going into the final period.

The Hawks’ injury ravaged short bench with only four D men took its toll and the Barons capitalised.

With victory assured, there was no let-up from the Barons in the final period, who claimed another four goals through Ottosson, Paul Stanley and a brace from Thomas Soar to claim the NIHL Midlands Cup in emphatic fashion.