Match Report: Romford Raiders 3-2 – Milton Keynes Lightning (SO) | 11 October 2026

Romford Raiders beat Milton Keynes Lightning 3-2 in a shootout at Sapphire Ice and Leisure Romford on 11 October. Lightning recovered from a two-goal first-period deficit to draw level through Carter Hamill and Liam Stewart, but neither side scored again in regulation or overtime. Barret Kirwin’s shootout conversion settled the NIHL National game in the hosts’ favour, leaving Lightning with one point from a hard-fought visit to Romford.

With Cole Ceci in goal for Romford Raiders and Jordan Hedley in goal for Milton Keynes Lightning, Romford made an early breakthrough when Tjay Anderson scored at 01:03, assisted by Andrew Coxhead. That gave the Raiders the first lead, and they held it through much of the opening period. Their second goal came on the power play: Archie Hazeldine received two minutes for tripping at 14:59, and Kirwin scored five seconds later from Jarrett Baker and Jake Sylvester to make it 2-0. Romford had turned their early advantage into a two-goal gap before Lightning found a reply.

Hamill brought Lightning back within one at 16:50, with Stewart and Bradey Johnson supplying the assists. His goal, 1:46 after Kirwin’s, was his first in four competitive games following three without one. It changed the position at the first interval: rather than carrying a two-goal lead into the break, Romford were ahead 2-1. The hosts had recorded 16 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes to Lightning’s nine.

The middle period passed without a goal, so Hamill’s reply remained the only change to Romford’s first-period lead. Lightning put 19 shots on goal during those 20 minutes, compared with four for the Raiders, but could not find the equaliser before the second interval. The shot figures show how often each side tested the goal in that period; the score still left Lightning needing one more goal to draw level. Romford, meanwhile, had kept hold of the advantage established by Anderson and Kirwin despite the visitors’ higher second-period shot count.

Stewart supplied the equaliser at 43:04, scoring from Danny Weight and Kell Beattie to make it 2-2. It was his goal in a fourth successive competitive game, and it completed Lightning’s recovery from the 2-0 deficit they had faced late in the first period. Stewart had also assisted on Hamill’s goal, giving him a direct contribution to both Lightning goals. For Romford, the task had changed too: a lead they had held since the opening minute was gone, with the remainder of the third period to play.

No further goal followed in regulation. Romford recorded 11 shots on goal in the third period to Lightning’s six, but the sides remained level at 2-2 after 60 minutes. Each had led a different part of the contest: the Raiders had scored twice before Lightning got on the board, while the visitors’ two replies had brought them all the way back without putting them ahead. With neither team able to break that tie before the end of the third, the game moved into overtime.

The additional period did not separate them either. Lightning recorded four shots on goal in overtime to Romford’s two, but the score stayed 2-2 through 65 minutes of play. That left a shootout to decide which side would take the second NIHL National point. Kirwin was credited with the deciding conversion at 65:00, giving the Raiders the official 3-2 result. His shootout conversion decided the match; it was separate from his first-period power-play goal and from the two goals each team scored during regulation.

Romford earned the extra point after taking their early chances and holding Lightning off the scoresheet through the middle period. Lightning’s goals from Hamill and Stewart had erased the deficit, but not secured the win. The shootout defeat gave Lightning one NIHL National point and completed an editor-confirmed three-point weekend.

Source: Official NIHL National gamesheet.