A PROMISING start by Solihull Barons soon went to waste in a disappointing 7-4 defeat against a Ben Campbell-inspired Whitley Warriors.
Warriors currently top the Moralee Division, so a victory was crucial going into the game in order to keep Solihull’s title challenge alive.
A three-goal lead looked set to put the Barons on track for a season-defining win, when Callum Bowley and Niklas Ottosson struck at 5.25 and 17.26 respectively inside the opening period, followed by Daniel Mulcahy’s effort at 22.06 to kick off the second period.
Campbell scored the first of an eventual six-goal haul on 22.25, seconds after the Barons had stretched their advantage to three goals.
Supplying another goal at 26.48, the Whitley forward completed his hat-trick at the start of the final 20 to level the score.
While the Barons did resume their lead at 44.22, courtesy of Adam Brittle’s strike following good play between Mulcahy and Ottosson, a scintillating 15-minute spell until the game’s conclusion swung the balance of the tie dramatically in the visitors’ favour.
After Campbell swept home his fourth of the night on 45.18, it was his team-mate Ross Murray who put the Warriors in front for the first time at 48.18.
The advantage enjoyed by the away side only spurred Whitley and Campbell on to finish the tie in style, as the forward struck at 52.31 and 58.11 to clinch a stunning comeback victory.
Barons will remain dismayed by the manner in which they collapsed in front of the Hobs Moat Road faithful and have to wait until Sunday, February 23 (5.30pm) to put things right against Sutton Sting.
