Slough Jets 3 Basingstoke Bison 4 (after overtime)
FOR THE second time this season, Gary Clarke was the Bison overtime hero as he netted the game-winning goal at 66:19.
It completed a great comeback for the visiting Bison at Slough on Saturday night after they found themselves 3-1 down with 20 minutes to play.
The Wella-backed side should have got off to a dream start but missed three good chances in the opening five minutes.
The home side took advantage of this as Joe Stefan converted a Jon Cameron pass to make it 1-0 at 13:48.
The first Bison powerplay saw the visitors tie the game with former Jet Derek Higdon scoring at 17:35.
However, a mistake on the Bison blue line allowed the home side to go in at the break with a lead as Chris Crombie deflected home a Scott Moody shot.
The second period saw the visitors start well but unable to get an equaliser and it was man-of-the-match Mitch Grant that made it 3-1, to complete a trio of goals scored by former Bison players.
The final period saw the visitors hit back and a super pass from Jimmy Andersson allowed Higdon to score his second at 46:40.
Six minutes later, Clarke tied the game with a great strike and no further scoring meant sudden death overtime.
Just 99 seconds into the extra period Clarke picked up an interference penalty and then was joined in the sin-bin by Dru Burgess at 62:24.
This gave the Jets 76 seconds of a two-man advantage but the visitors' defence stood firm.
Soon after the penalties finished, Crombie had a great chance to win the game for Slough but Robert Schistad denied him.
Then an Adam Lamarre clearance hit the shin pads of Clarke. He skated in and, with Warren Rost trying to knock him to the ice, he still managed to get his shot away to win the game for the Bison.
Bison coach Charlie Colon said: "It was a great comeback from the guys who kept on battling for the whole of the game."
Scoring, Jets: Crombie 1+1, Grant, Stefan 1+0, Cross 0+2, Cameron, Pinnington, Moody 0+1; Bison: Higdon, Clarke 2+0, Burgess, Liddiard, Andersson, Little, Ellis 0+1. Shots on goal: Russell 34, Schistad 33. Penalties: Bison 12min, Jets 14.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article