SATURDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2025
There’s The Easy Way, There’s the Hard Way and There’s the Streatham Way
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham got 2026 on the high road off to a winning start with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Chelmsford Cheiftans this past weekend.
Tickets for this game were akin to Willy Wonkas golden tickets, following an announcement by the club that all online tickets were sold out. Leading to a large line of hopefuls filling the high road leisure centre entrance from 2pm in the hope that they would be one of the 1000 or so allowed in the building.
The reason for such a clamour for tickets, being those games between the two sides this season have been close, exciting hockey, and there was a championship title on the line. For Chelmsford a win would see them crowned Challenge Cup champions on Streatham’s ice, for the hosts a win would see them in with a chance at securing a trophy when they visit Invicta on the 25th of January. In effect this was a cup final match.
Coaches have said if you can survive the opening 5-10 minutes of a game vs the RedHawks without conceding you are in a good spot for the rest of the game. Coach Lewis Clifford will have felt just that up until the 9th minute. When a big hit by Ryan Watt on Ben Beldecos in the bottom corner released a puck to a waiting JJ Pitchley who found Jared Lane on the doorstep who would rifle it by Ross Miller in the Chelmsford net to make it 1-0 to the RedHawks.
The next 10 minutes would see Streatham test Miller looking to extend the lead, while at the other end having found ways to generate offence the Chieftains began testing Brett Shepherd. Shepherd however would stand firm in the Streatham net and the period would end 1-0 Streatham.
The 2nd would see tensions in the game begin to rise, as Streatham would strike early in the second to make it 2-0. A play up the boards by Harvey stead would find Jared Lane in front of net. He would outwait Miller and feed a puck across to a waiting Luke Brittle who would apply the finish to extend the lead to 2-0 at 23 minutes gone.
The Chieftains would continue to push, and tensions would rise a minute later as Ethan Lane and Kieran Raynor would get into an altercation around the Chieftains’ net. Both being assessed 2 for roughing and 10 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
In the past Streatham have landed in penalty trouble in the second period, in games against the Chieftains. But that wouldn’t be the case in this game. And despite good chances for both sides the score remained at 2-0 Streatham heading into the 3rd.
The 3rd would see everything that had been boiling and simmering boil over, an altercation at the end of the 2nd had set the tone for the 3rd. With just 50 seconds on the clock at 4050 Regan O’Neil would net from range to put the Chieftains within 1 goal. Then at 4657 a mistake by Brett Shepherd leaving his net to play a puck would see the puck turned over to Olly Baldock who netted to tie the game.
Many in attendance would be forgiven for involving the ghosts of the 6-0 cup final and recent 3-2 OT loss at this time.
A fight between Grant Bartelett, and JJ Pitchley at 49 minutes, after Pitchley had laid a big hit by the Chieftains bench judged to be charging. Seemed to hand the momentum to the Chieftains. But the resulting Penalty kill seemed to swing the momentum Streatham’s way.
As at 51 minutes, following a successful Penalty Kill Streatham would strike again. Alan Lack would redirect a puck Infront of net off a long-range effort by Sam Waller, with help by Aidan Doughty. To put the RedHawks back in front 3-2.
Chelmsford would once again begin heavy offence, knowing now that to get 1 goal and tie the game would secure the Cup. And would be rewarded at 55 minutes. As Halden Barnes Garner would fire from the blue line past Shepherd to tie the game with 4 minutes remaining.
The final phase would see Streatham push for the game winner in regulation and Chelmsford seek to hold on for overtime. With Shepherd pulled Streatham would use the extra man advantage and control of the puck to attack. All looked over though as a long range shot through traffic sailed wide and was cleared towards the Streatham net. The puck sailing wide would gift Streatham an icing call. With tired Chieftains players trapped in their own zone, and a time out coach Paynter drew up a game plan to win the game.
Off the face off the puck would be won cleanly by Danny Rose, to Harvey Stead, his pass across the blue line to Danny Ingoldsby would be one timed to the net. Miller would make the save but Aidan Doughty would crash the net collect the rebound and score with seconds on the clock. Sending the high road crowd into a pop so loud it could have raised the roof.
The clock would wind down and Streatham would emerge with the 3 points and a shot at the Challenge cup on January 25th against Invicta.
Post-game coach Paynter was pleased with what his team had shown in fighting back to win the game.
“We knew in the back of our heads. If we lose tonight, they win a trophy on our ice and we don’t want that. And we want to put ourselves in position to win a trophy and we now know we’ve got a chance to do that. Biggest thing for me tonight was our character, we were very disciplined in how we played our systems and structure. There’s a couple of goals that on another night don’t go in. But when you play a team like Chelmsford you know they’re going to find a way to score its inevitable. But we managed the game and our emotions, and the character to find a way to pull it back to win it with 10 seconds left. That’s the sort of stuff that teams that win trophies do. And last season I don’t think we had that mentality. But this season we’re showing time and time again we’re different team mentally.”
The following evening the RedHawks completed a clean sweep of the weekend with a 7-1 win in Swindon. JJ Pitchley, Dylan Dix, Ryan Watt all had 1 goal apiece and both Aidan Doughty and Alan Lack scored twice to secure the win on the road.
Its more, high stakes hockey up next on the High Road as the RedHawks next welcome Swindon Wildcats in the first leg of the Britton Cup Semi Finals this Saturday at 1730 before the return leg on Sunday facing off at 1830.
