Leeds Knights v Romford Raiders: Knights keen to put NIHL National Cup record right and enjoy home ice finale

On the line is the first piece of silverware available in the UK’s second tier, the one trophy that has so far eluded the Knights in their short, four-year existence.

Having failed to qualify for the final four in their debut season in 2021-22, a final appearance was secured 12 months later, only for them to produce what ranks as their worst performance under head coach Aldridge.

A 6-0 defeat at Peterborough Phantoms in the first leg had everybody writing off the Knights’ chances ahead of the second leg in Leeds a week later.

In between, the Knights clinched their first-ever piece of silverware when a 4-2 victory at Telford Tigers earned them the NIHL National regular season league title.

Once that mission had been accomplished, it meant all bets were off five days later for the deciding encounter against Peterborough.

To buy tickets for Sunday’s HOME leg of the NIHL National Cup Final between Leeds Knights and Romford Raiders go HERE

To watch the LIVE STREAM of Sunday’s HOME leg of the NIHL National Cup Final between Leeds Knights and Romford Raiders go HERE

It almost paid off, the Knights pulling the aggregate back to one goal down after building a 6-1 lead, their hopes dashed when the Phantoms scored a late empty-netter.

Last year brought disappointment over two legs at the semi-final stage against Hull Seahawks.

Now, the Knights are back in the final against a Romford Raiders team they have a 100 per cent record against so far in the league - means they will be deemed by many as favourites to end their wait for this particular trophy.

There will be nerves ahead of both games in both locker rooms - the first of which is at Romford’s Sapphire Centre tonight - but Aldridge is keen to keep things as normal and low-key as possible.

“It’s a tough one because of the emotions of it (being a final) and how we handle it as individuals and as a team,” said Aldridge.

“I think we’ve got to get that side of things right more than the playing side, probably - because we know that if we play our game as well as we know we can, we’re in with a good chance of coming out on top, there’s no doubt about that.

“But it’s going to be business as usual for us as much as possible. We’re going out to play our normal game and, like any weekend, we’re just trying to win two hockey games.”

To watch the LIVE STREAM of Saturday’s first leg of the NIHL National Cup Final between Leeds Knights and Romford Raiders go HERE

Less than a month after losing out to Peterborough two years ago, the Knights found themselves in a second final, this time in the play-offs against the Raiders.

After a breathtaking start saw the Knights race into a 3-0 lead, they were made to endure a nervous finish before eventually running out 5-4 winners.

The Raiders have changed considerably since that meeting, not just by having Romford return to the team’s name.

Long-serving coach Sean Easton was replaced by player-coach Adam Laishram last summer with the team enjoying a promising start to the regular season campaign, putting them up at the top alongside the more expected early front-runners such as Leeds and Milton Keynes Lightning.

The form tailed off after the first couple of months but Laishram and his team have racked up some notable scalps along the way, including victories over the Lightning and the other team still involved in the title picture, Swindon Wildcats.

As far as previous form goes, though, Aldridge is quick to dismiss its relevance going into this weekend.

“It’s going to be a tough ask, they’ve all been tight games against them this season and I don’t expect it to be any different this weekend,” he added.

“It would obviously mean a lot to everybody at the club to get this one over the line.

“Two years ago, we had the worst performance in the whole time I’ve been here against Peterborough which made it borderline impossible to get back, although we came very close to doing it.

“Obviously, last year we weren’t great when we got to the semi-final against Hull and so to get to the final again now is great - but there is a lot of work to do in order to get it done.”

Watching the Phantoms celebrating at Elland Road won’t have been an easy watch for the Knights’ players, likewise when Hull and their fans celebrated their semi-final win after a stunning 5-1 win in the second leg sealed a 9-4 aggregate triumph.

On each occasion, Aldridge made sure his players stuck around to show their respect and watch their conquerors enjoy their moment of triumph.

He hopes memories of those painful defeats can provide further drive for his players to avoid a repeat when this year’s final comes to be decided in West Yorkshire on Sunday.

“It does hurt, losing a final, of course it’s going to,” he added. “The second leg is at ours again this year and we know how tough it is to lose in your own building and watch other teams lift the trophy.

“Out of respect I think you should watch the other team lifting the trophy, celebrating their win - but I also think it’s good for you as a group to feel that pain, if you like, on your own ice and make sure that you don’t go through it again.”