Basingstoke Buffalo 5 - Streatham Redskins 3
THE Basingstoke Buffalo won their first-ever meeting against tough London outfit Streatham Redskins on Sunday night.
It was the visitors who looked set to open the scoring as Victor Somfalenau broke away, but Buffalo man-of-the-match Greg Wyatt got in a crucial poke check to stop the Redskins' import getting a clean shot away.
The Gowrings and Safeway-backed side then opened the scoring at 5:06 as Drew Campbell slotted between the legs of netminder Adam Noctor after receiving a pass from Anthony Page.
However, the visitors were level at 17:37 as Somfalenau netted close in from Redskins' man-of-the-match Tom Alexander.
The second session got off to the worst possible start for the Buffalo as Streatham took the lead at 21:04 as Joe Johnston scored.
The Buffalo hit back as Wyatt touched home a Rob Etheridge cross on the powerplay three minutes.
The goal scorer nearly netted again seconds later but his shot went inches wide.
Tom Pope, back in the Buffalo line-up, also went close and then Campbell hit the post at 29:12 as the home side piled on the pressure.
They finally got the go-ahead goals at 32:55 as Simon Beere's shot from the left wing was padded away to Etheridge who fed Andy Morgan to fire home.
The home side extended their lead further as defence-man Ryan Cathcart burst into the Streatham end zone and from just inside the blue line, fired home with a shot from the right wing.
Once again, the Buffalo were caught napping at the start of a period as Steve Paris pulled a goal after just 52 seconds.
However, from then on, the home side dominated with Pope, Page, Etheridge and Mark Jordan all going close before Beere netted number five at 49:49.
The final three minutes saw Michael Leary and Andrew Jordan both test the visitors' goalie but there were no further goals.
A delighted Buffalo coach Ed Campbell said: "It was a good game of hockey and I was pleased with the way the guys came back after going 2-1 down."
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