Ice Hockey Mixed Emotions For City Stars (from Oxford Mail)

Oxford City Stars had a mixed 24 hours in South Division A with a defeat and a win last weekend.

Saturday's 8-5 reverse at Cardiff was followed 24 hours later by an ill-tempered 4-3 home victory against Coventry, which ended in a mass brawl.

Stars got off to a bad start against Cardiff, with Ben Davies firing the Welshmen ahead on ten minutes after skating through the Oxford backline unchallenged.

And it got even worse for Stars, with Alex Madge and David James making it 3-0. They were still reeling when Davies bagged No 4, with Michale Price making it 5-0 to effectively kill off Stars' challenge.

Oxford did not give up, with Grant Bailey's pass hitting Cardiff defender Phil Manny's skate before deflecting in past his own goalie.

Jacob Smith then reduced the deficit, only for Jamie Dancey to restore Cardiff's four-goal advantage.

Oxford's Nick Eden clawed another one back, only for defensive sloppiness to allow James to make it 7-3 with his second.

After play was stopped for Stars' netminder Kevin McGurk to receive treatment for an injury, Dean Francis's long-range slap-shot found its way to the bottom corner of the Cardiff goal seconds after the restart.

Just as Stars were contemplating a comeback, Lewis Smith slammed home Cardiff's eighth and although Francis cut inside the Cardiff defence before setting up Nick Eden for Stars' fourth by then it was too late.

Against Coventry, Stars must have been fearing the worse when Joe Henry gave Blaze the lead.

However, they levelled when Darren Elliott fired into the top corner from a Francis pass, though they were breathing a sigh of relief when a shot from Tom Ledgard cannoned off the corner of the crossbar, despite Coventry claims that the puck had bounced back out of the net.

City took the lead when Alan Green unleashed a slapshot along the ice that beat the goalie and nestled in the back of the net.

It got even better for Stars when Sam Broughton increased their lead after Coventry's defenceman Chris Wilcox was sin-binned.

Coventry grabbed another goal back when Henry scored his second, before Francis made it 4-2.

But Coventry refused to give up, scoring a third through Scott Murray. The game ended in mass brawl which started when Grant Bailey intervened after Green was shoved into the net by a Coventry player.

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