Fire Focus On Shooting Down Stars At Viola Arena

Cardiff Fire are intent on taking their frustration on Oxford City Stars at the Viola Arena in Cardiff Bay this evening (6pm).

Head coach Mark Smith and his Fire players suffered a 4-1 National League home defeat against Guildford Phoenix on Saturday, although that scoreline does not reflect the Cardiff performance.

Now Fire have a second successive home fixture with a strong Stars team visiting South Wales.

Oxford include former Devils player Lee Richardson in a talented line-up.

https://twitter.com/CardiffFireIHC/status/1089500526776070144

Fire matched Phoenix for long periods and dominated the second without being able to turn their chances into goals.

The visitors were far more clinical and and made Fire pay dearly for not making the most of some good approach work.

Cardiff outshot Guildford, but lost the first period 2-0 and the second by the same margin.

Morgan Evans hit back in the third to give Fire some hope, but they could not force the second goal which might have made the difference.

Fire’s Ross Wilkinson was thrown out on a match penalty for fighting with 16 seconds left.

Action: Cardiff Fire v Guildford Phoenix. Pic: James Assinder.

Match stats (Fire v Phoenix):

Fire: Morgan Evans 1+0, Chris Fox 0+1, Ellis Sheppard 0+1.

Phoenix: Andrew Hemmings 2+0; Haydn Wootton 1+0; Bailey Wootton 1+1; Matthew Tull 0+1; Taylor Sullivan 0+1; Joshua Abbott 0+2; Luke Tull 0+1.

Period scores (Fire first): 2-0; 2-0 (4-1); 0-1(4-1).

Shots on goal: Fire (on Sam Calder) 41, Phoenix (on Lewis Davies) 32.

Penalties in minutes: Fire 4+2+25=31, Phoenix 2+4+2=8.

Stars of the game: Fire, Morgan Evans; Phoenix, Andy Hemmings.

NIHL South Two fixtures:

Sunday, January 27: Haringey Huskies v Bracknell Hornets (5.30pm), Cardiff Fire v Oxford City Stars (6pm), Swindon Wildcats v Lee Valley Lions (6.15pm), Basingstoke Buffalo v Solent Devils (6.15pm).

Cardiff Fire match tickets available on the door or buy online at http://bit.ly/cardiff-fire