Published: Friday, 22nd January, 2010 9:00am

Russell wants to stay in touch

by Patrick Corlett

Comments (0) | Print | Email

Ice hockey

Adam Greener gets involved at the end of the Lightning match. Photographer (c) Simon Curtis

PETE Russell is going into the weekend's fixtures looking for his Slough Jets to halt the progress of two in form sides.

Slough host the Bracknell Bees on Saturday who had won three on the bounce before losing 3-1 to EPL leaders Milton Keynes Lightning and boast two import stars in the form of Michal Pinc and Jaroslav Cesky who impressed in an improbable comeback victory against the Jets earlier in the campaign.

On Sunday, the Jets then travel to Peterborough who have only suffered one defeat in the last seven and that was in overtime to Manchester Phoenix.

Russell said: "Bracknell will be a tough game, they have got two of the best imports in the league, we have got to shut down (Jaroslav) Cesky and (Michal) Pinc.

"And Peterborough have really climbed up the table recently but we need to take points this weekend.

"If we do then that's great, it is a big weekend but they are all big weekends.

"We would like to pick up the points and stay in the group at the top, it is how you deal with injuries and suspensions that counts and we do have a strong squad."

Russell praised the strength of his squad after they were depleted following a fractious end to Saturday's loss to Milton Keynes as fighting broke out and Adam Greener picked up three penalties in the final period, two for roughing.

"Emotions were running high at the end of the game and a lot of big talk between the players boiled over but there is not much I can do about that from the bench," explained Russell.

"It was at the end of things and sometimes these things happen. We've signed a lot of tough players but I would rather that than they couldn't handle it although we did talk about it afterwards. They are disappointed and it won't happen again.

"We will miss the suspended players but every team has to deal with this and we did that on Sunday, it showed we have great strength of depth in our squad."