SUNDAY 21ST DECEMBER 2025
Buccaneers Sunk by Streatham
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham wrapped up 2025 with a 3-0 win on home ice over the Romford Buccaneers last Saturday.
It had been nearly a month since the RedHawks had played a game on home ice, and with that game being the 7-1 loss to the Slough Jets. Before an impressive away debut for new signing Alan Lack saw the team come away 7-3 winners in Solent, just 10 seconds shy of an overtime point in Slough with a 5-4 loss. Before denying Chelmsford an end of year trophy celebration with a 5-1 win over the Chieftains in the challenge cup. The team were looking to keep the momentum alive heading into the Christmas break.
For Romford they were missing key players like Juraj Huska who is always plays well on the High Road. Along with several other key players who were either unavailable or who were on call up to the Raiders roster as it faced the Peterborough Phantoms. They were however boosted by the addition of talented netminder Owen Rider, dropping down to get some ice time.
Rider would prove to be the difference maker in this game, pulling out a series of big stops as the RedHawks struggled to break down the Buccaneers defence enough to find gaps they could score through. With Danny Milton side-lined through injury Brett Shepherd would get the starting nod and while not as busy as his opposite number from Romford. Still had to make a big desperation save on a Buccs 2 on 1 break. But the period would end up being scoreless at 0-0 after 20 minutes.
Coach Paynter wanted responses from his roster after the 7-1 loss a few weeks back. The RedHawks would continue to dominate the game, but it wasn’t till the 29th minute when a way to score was found. James Warman with a one timed shot off a face off through a screen was able to beat the reaction time of Rider and slot it into the bottom corner of the net. With Dan Rose who had won the face off getting the assist on the goal.
Streatham would continue pilling pressure on the Raiders net and be rewarded in odd fashion at 38 minutes. JJ Pitchley would bank a puck into the net off the back of Riders legs, after firing it towards the net from behind the goal. All in attendance were confused by Pitchley’s celebrations till it was noticed where the puck was. Defenceman Marcus Bradley would collect his 1st point for the club with an assist on the goal along with Dylan Dix.
The 3rd period would see Streatham continue to dominate, with Romford forced to rely on rare counter attacks for opportunities on goal. Rider would continue with his heroics in net for the visitors. But at 54 minutes Streatham would find another way past the Buccs shot stopper.
Aidan Doughty would collect the puck down low behind the goal off a pass from Dylan Dix before switching it to the other side of the net and stuffing it past Riders pads for the 3rd Streatham goal, to wrap up the game 3-0.
With the clock winding down, Ben Paynter and Donald Campbell would exchange pleasantries. With Paynter heading to the bin for roughing. But nothing called on the Buccaneers defender. The clock would then count down and the game would end Streatham 3-0 Romford.
Post-game head coach Ben Paynter was happy with his team’s domination of the game. And that while there’s now a pause in games the team will get a chance to recover ahead of the big run in after Christmas.
“We dominated the whole game, Rider played really well for them in net and defensively they were tight. But we were in control all game. Rider made some huge saves for them and stood on his head at times, but we stuck to the game plan, and got it done in the end. We’re now looking forward to the Christmas break and the rest it gives us, we have a few bodies banged up who have been playing hurt, last couple of weeks. Momentum wise we know trophies are on the line, and we know we have to perform every game after the break.”
Up next for the RedHawks it’s a challenge cup game against the Chelmsford Chieftains on the 10th January due to Face off at 17:30pm as the teams gets things under way in 2026. Then the following weekend it’s the Britton cup semi-final as the Swindon Wildcats make their way to the High Road for the home leg of the semi-final tie(this fixture being played at home first despite Streatham finishing top of the group due to Swindon’s National league teams fixtures) facing off again at 17:30pm.
