Vipers inspired by injured duo

Jan 23 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

THE determination of David Longstaff and Chris McAllister to play through the pain barrier has inspired the Vipers out of their early-season slump, according to Derek Campbell.

Captain Longstaff and defenceman McAllister have been playing with injuries that should have stayed on the treatment table, and will do so again for this weekend’s home and away Elite League matches against Hull Stingrays.

With such an attitude, forward Campbell (pictured right) says the rest of the squad could hardly not follow suit.

“We’ve got guys playing hurt right now and they should not be playing,” said the 28-year-old Canadian winger. “When you see guys playing through injury, that’s a positive. It motivates you when you’ve got your captain playing hurt and a guy like McAllister doing it as well. That’s leadership in itself.”

The Vipers had won three games out of four until the mini-revival ended last weekend when they were hammered at Coventry Blaze and lost on penalties at Cardiff Devils. After a disappointing start to the campaign left them in seventh, Campbell believes he can see the green shoots of recovery.

“We might have turned the corner,” he said. “We didn’t play too well against Coventry last week but generally our performances and results are better.

“Home and away against Hull will be a big weekend for us. These guys are below us in the table and we want to keep them there.”

Unwelcome though it was, the departure of top-scorer Todd Griffith lifted the pressure off four team-mates, who were on two weeks’ notice that they could be sacked. Although it coincided with the upturn, Campbell is sceptical as to whether it was a good thing.

“When you play professional sports your job can be on the line at any given moment,” he reasoned. “Knowing Todd has left might have relieved a little bit of pressure off some guys. But when you play with that desperation it can help.”

Campbell’s brace in Saturday’s 7-3 defeat has taken his tally for the season to 14 (with 20 assists) from 34 games.

“I’m playing fairly decent at the moment,” he commented. “I’d obviously like to have scored more goals – who wouldn’t? But you’ve got to find a way to contribute, be it defending, fighting, scoring, creating assists or whatever. It’s just a case of getting the balance right.”