Leeds Knights within one win of third NIHL National league crown after victory over title rivals Milton Keynes Lightning

A 3-1 win at title rivals Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday night means the Knights can retain their regular season crown with two more points from their final three games - and it could come as early as Sunday night at Elland Road when they host Solway Sharks.

The Sharks are still engaged in a fierce battle to make the play-offs and ensured they are still in contention with a 7-4 win at home to Sheffield Steeldogs on Saturday - taking them to within four points of Telford Tigers with three games to play.

Solway will be desperate to take their fight to the final day of the regular season next Sunday when they visit Telford.

But Ryan Aldridge’s team – who stretched their winning streak to 10 games in Buckinghamshire – will be desperate to get the deal done themselves on Sunday in front of their own fans, instead of relying next weekend’s games against Peterborough Phantoms and Hull Seahawks.

To buy tickets for Sunday night’s game at Elland Road Ice Arena between Leeds Knights and Solway Sharks click HERE

The fact they are in such a position to do so was the result of two impressive performances on the road on a three-game weekend.

The 7-2 win at Romford Raiders on Friday night saw them go two points clear at the top of the standings heading into Milton Keynes 24 hours later.

As you would expect from two teams who have been so relentless all season, there was little to choose between them in front of a packed 2,553 crowd at Elder Gate.

The Knights have once again proved a resilient group this year and had to be so again, coming from behind to get the job done after former Leeds defenceman Ben Solder put the Lightning ahead on the power play at 13.39.

After a slow start to the season, partly hampered by injury, captain Kieran Brown has come to the fore for the Knights over recent weeks, proving a relentless point-scoring force - blasting through the 100-point barrier for the fourth year running.

Going into Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash, the mercurial 24-year-old had posted 28 points, including 16 goals, in the previous 10 games.

He made it 17 goals in 11 games when he dragged his team level just over two minutes into the second period, which is where the game was effectively won.

Just over six minutes later, Brown was involved again, combining with Matt Barron to set up Matthew Bissonnette to establish a 2-1 lead.

It got even better for the Knights in the 34th minute when OIlie Endicott - scorer of the opening goal after just 17 seconds in Romford the night before - made it 3-1.

Once two ahead, it was a case of trying to see the game out, something the Knights have proved accomplished for the vast majority of the season.

Milton Keynes pulled goalie Jordan Hedley for the extra skater with just under three minutes remaining, but it proved in vain, Sam Gospel standing tall in net once again by turning away all but one of the 32 shots on his net and the Knights sealing two crucial points to move four clear at the to, giving themselves the opportunity to make it three league titles in as many years in front of their own fans on Sunday.

To buy tickets for Sunday night’s game at Elland Road Ice Arena between Leeds Knights and Solway Sharks click HERE