Match Impressions - Edinburgh Capitals SNL vs Paisley Pirates

A drama with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the crowd guessing.  This time we were watching the 'wee' Caps side.  They play in the Scottish National League in which imported players are banned, the speed of the game is that bit slower, and the standard of the teams varies greatly.  Earlier in the season I watched them complete an 18-0 demolition job on one of the lower ranked teams, but that was never likely to be repeated tonight.  Following a defeat by Kirkcaldy the SNL Caps team needed to win their remaining three league matches if they were to be sure of retaining the title they won last year.   And Paisley, just one place behind them in the table, would be the toughest of the trio.

It certainly looked that way from the start, the west coast side having the best of the opening minutes.  Edinburgh got back into the match and created chances aplenty, but without the necessary finishing touch.  Instead it was Pirates who took the lead, and added a second before the twenty minutes were up.  But I've seen this squad making comebacks before and plenty time remained.  It was a bit more worrying when Paisley scored again early in the second, but then Caps started to find their form and scored two within a minute.  Paisley took the lead back out to two, but the best goal of the night reduced it to one, and when the equaliser came it was comedy gold.  A harmless Caps shot looked to be well wide of the target until a Pirates defenceman stuck out his boot and deflected the puck into his own net.  This script writer has class.  Caps ended the period with a late goal to take the lead for the first time.

One more early in the third looked to have the match under control and it seemed that that would be that.  Paisley disagreed and came back strongly enough to equalise half way through the period.  The final ten minutes swung back and forth.  Paisley dominated for a while and were unlucky with a shot that pinged off the pipes.  With just over three minutes left on the clock a penalty against Caps reduced them to four men and survival tactics, with the positions being reversed for the final fifty nine seconds.  Edinburgh came close, but there were no more goals and a draw seemed like a fair result.  Even if it may have ended those title hopes.