Milton Keynes Lightning v Hull Seahawks: 'Bring it' - Matty Davies' message to players ahead of National Cup Final showdown

The Seahawks trail 5-4 after the first leg in Hull last Wednesday, a scoreline which looked unlikely until Tim Wallace’s team scored two goals within six seconds of each other in the last five minutes to steal a precious one-goal advantage.

As was the case last week, there has been little to choose between the two teams all season, Hull edging the five-game head-to-head series 3-2 and, crucially, being the only team to win in Milton Keynes this season.

How much of a psychological advantage that proves to be for the visitors remains to be seen, but head coach Davies goes into the finale leading a Seahawks team bursting with confidence that they can come out on top.

If successful, it could be the first part of a double-winning campaign for Davies and his players with the NIHL National play-offs still to come.

Already assured of a fourth-place finish, Hull take on league champions Leeds Knights on the first weekend of the play-off group phase, travelling to West Yorkshire on Friday, April 5 before hosting Davies’ former club 48 hours later.

The following weekend sees them go home and away against Bees IHC, who finished the regular season eighth, while it won’t be known until this weekend’s conclusion of the regular season whether Peterborough Phantoms or Telford Tigers will take the final spot in Group A.

But, for now, Davies and his players have other, more pressing matters on their collective minds.

“Everyone on our team knows that we can beat them,” said Davies, who took the opportunity to rest key players including Owen Sobchak, Tom Stubley and goalie Jordan McLaughlin at the weekend.

While disappointed to see his team follow up an 8-4 home defeat to Peterborough on Saturday with an 8-3 defeat at bogey side Telford Tigers 24 hours later – the Shropshire team sweeping the five-game series against Hull in the process – Davies was more concerned with keeping his team as fresh as possible for tonight’s conclusion of the Cup final.

That meant managing his top players’ ice time on top of leaving out others who perhaps needed more recuperation time or who were carrying slight injuries.

“We rested, Sobs, Stubs and Jordy, but it was more about how we played in trying to rest those players while they were still playing, which is obviously tough to do during games,” added Davies.

“We were trying to manage their ice time as best we could with Tuesday night in mind and trying to get through the weekend without being too exhausted for the second leg of the final.

“Not just exhausted but making sure we still had enough in the tanks to play how we’re going to have to play in Milton Keynes in order to turn that tie around and win.”

Davies believes his team’s previous win in Milton Keynes will give them a slight mental edge going into the game.

“They’re going to be confident because they are at home and they are ahead but I don’t think they’ll be thinking it’s going to be an easy night at all – they know we’ve beaten them, both at ours and at theirs.

“Even when we went down there the second time a few weeks ago, we were short-benched but managed to stay in the game until late on.

“So we know we can get the better of them wherever we play them and they will know that too.”

Given the occasion and given the experience on his bench, Davies is confident his team will need little motivation.

“Most of our players have been playing for a long time now – the majority of them anyway,” he added.

“A lot of them have played in big games, big finals.

“At this stage of the year, it’s already been a long season and we’ve played a lot of games and they don’t need me to keep harping on about this, that and the other.

“If they want to do it in that room, then they are the ones that will have to bring it on the night – it is down to them to bring it collectively.

“The message from me is obviously going to be one of positivity but making sure that we play our way and that we don’t get away from that on the night.

“And that’s the key for me, whenever we play the way that I know is best for us to beat teams comfortably, we are a tough team to beat.

“Yes, it’s hard to emulate that every single night, but in a game like this, it is a final and we have to make sure we bring our best.

“If they do that and we stick to playing the kind of front-foot, aggressive game that has brought us success this year, I’m confident we will win.”