Whitley Warriors 13 Newcastle ENL Vipers1

Mar 24 2008 by Richard Neale, The Journal

THE Warriors made it a four-point weekend against the ENL Vipers with a comprehensive victory at Hillheads last night to move to the verge of the championship final at Coventry.

Sam Zajac put the home side ahead in the opening few seconds, with Ryan Sample adding a second at 2.15 and then set up Andrew Tindale for a short-handed marker on five minutes.

James Udell did net for the Vipers a couple of minutes later, but Whitley were quick to respond through Bryan Dunn.

The middle session was only 32 seconds old when Daniel Murdy notched the Warriors’ fifth goal of the night. Newcastle then held out until 29.01 but once Tindale scored on the powerplay the home side hit four in a seven-minute spell to end the period 10-1 ahead.

The last two of those goals were scored by teenagers Callum Watson and Nathan Salem, and it was youth to the fore in the final session again as 16-year-old Bobby Mole found the net twice, with Peter Zajac (19) scoring in between.

The previous evening, the Warriors won 4-1 win against the same opponents. Mark Good recorded a hat-trick to hand his side a first victory at Newcastle Arena for three seasons after Ben Campbell had given Vipers the lead. Good levelled at 31.38 and Karl Culley put Whitley ahead before Good wrapped it up.

WHITLEY: D Good and Mole 2+1, Tindale 2+0, Salem, R Sample, Watson, Dunn, P Zajac and D Murdy 1+1, S Zajac 1+0, Hendry 0+3, M Good and Culley 0+2, Howey and Allinson 0+1.

NEWCASTLE: Udell 1+0, Taylor 0+1.