Wildefire!

Last minute winner gives Blaze the edge in thrilling Midlands derby.

The Birmingham Blaze got off to the best possible start of the season, grabbing all three points away to the Leicester Wildecats after debutant Lewis Pardoe prodded home from close range with just seconds remaining in the game to give Blaze a gutsy if somewhat fortunate 3-2 victory.

It was Pardoe's second of the game having converted a penalty he was awarded after being brought down in the first half and the jubilant nature of the celebrations on the sidelines showed just how much it meant to everyone in the club.

With a new manager, new captain and new philosophy concerning the selection process for the team, the pressure was on for the Blaze to show that inclusivity and competitiveness can coincide with each other and in Leicester they found the perfect opponents to test themselves against. Having beaten the Wildecats 1-0 in the final game of the previous season, this game was a litmus test to see whether the new approach could work or not. While luck certainly played a part, it did.

Hurt from two successive defeats to the Blaze, Leicester came at the Blaze from the get go and were rewarded half way through the first half when, after some hesitant defending, the ball fell to Neil Ward who shot into the corner of the goal to give Leicester the lead.

An equaliser wasn't long in coming through Pardoe's penalty and the teams went into halftime all square at one each.

It was soon after the restart when Blaze went into the lead for the first time, Chris Horne getting his name on the score sheet for the first time this season. A dangerous corner from Greg Ellis on the right was flicked out by the Leicester defence only to be chased down by Martin Jenks on the left wing, who after some smart footwork played the ball back to the edge of the box to Horne who controlled the ball before unleashing a left footed drive into the bottom corner.

Leicester were given a route back into the game through a very well taken free kick which was curled into the far corner after an inadvertent handball from the otherwise superb Tom Hogan.

Leicester looked the more likely to get a late winner and it was only the heroics of Alan Tracey in the Blaze goal which prevented them from getting that goal. One double save was outstanding, but a tip over, again from the impressive Ward, was even better but did result in a dislocated finger for Alan.

It looked set to finish all level before Pardoe's last minute heroics and while lady luck was certainly shining down on the Blaze it was a deserved victory and one which sets the Blaze on course for the possibility of another successful season.