Everyone Active Raiders coach seeking home rewards

Raiders host Swindon Wildcats in a rearranged fixture on Saturday – as their Link Centre rink undergoes repairs – in a quick chance to avenge a 5-1 home loss against them on Sunday.

And they welcome Peterborough Phantoms the following evening, before a Friday night clash with Bees IHC on October 13 (7.30pm).

Having taken only three points from their first four National League matches, Easton is looking for a big improvement from his side.

“This weekend we was just not good enough,” he said, after an overtime loss in Telford was followed by that reverse against Swindon.

“With the next three games being at home it has to be six points – no questions.”

Raiders fell behind inside four minutes at Telford, as Scott McKenzie struck, but Zack Milton replied just 44 seconds later with his first goal for the club to level.

Harry Ferguson restored the home side’s lead in the seventh minute, but Jake Sylvester levelled with a powerplay goal just 22 seconds into the middle session.

And Mikey Power put Raiders ahead with his first of the campaign, before Vladimir Luka equalised for Tigers.

Tjay Anderson netted just 35 seconds later to put Raiders 4-3 up at the second break, before tempers boiled over and Raiders lost Callum Wells on a game misconduct penalty for joining a melee involving Ferguson, Sam Watkins, Adam Laishram and Jacob Ranson.

Finlay Howells and Brandon Ayliffe traded powerplay goals to leave Raiders 5-4 up with 10 minutes left, but Howells struck for a second time as Tigers enjoyed another man advantage to force overtime.

And when Blaho Novak was given a minor penalty for illegal equipment, Howells completed his hat-trick with the winner.

Glenn Billing put Swindon ahead inside a minute on Sunday, but Laishram levelled soon after.

That was as good as it got for Raiders, though, despite them dominating the shot count 19-11 in the opening period as Chris Jones restored Swindon’s lead before the break.

Tomasz Malasinski’s second-period brace made it 4-1, as Swindon outshot Raiders 16-4, and Sam Godfrey added a fifth late on.

“Saturday we was the better team, but conceded soft goals and took dumb penalties at key moments of the game,” added Easton.

“Sunday I liked the first period, minus the start, then we just died. No compete level, no heart – maybe a lack of fitness?

“We don’t support the puck well enough and we’re not playing off the same page right now.”

Raiders are waiting for their third non-British trained player to arrive in the UK, to join fellow Canadians Laishram and Nick Leyer.

“We are hoping to have Zach Bennett in the country very soon,” said Easton.

“We’re still waiting on his biometrics to be handed back to home, which has been 22 days now!”