SLOUGH Jets dropped out of the top half of the table in the National Ice Hockey League South One after a pair of defeats last weekend, writes Rob Stevens.

The Jets suffered a 5-4 loss at the hands of rivals Bracknell Hornets on Saturday before a surprise 5-0 hammering at Milton Keynes Thunder on Sunday.

Slough took the lead inside six minutes at The Hangar with a goal from Liam Underdown and they held the narrow advantage over Bracknell until the first buzzer.

The Hornets equalised through Connor Hutchison, but the hosts were back in front when Christian Mohr scored on the powerplay less than three minutes later.

Bracknell levelled the scores with a goal on the powerplay from Ryan Apsley, but Slough still had their noses in front when the second buzzer rang thanks to a strike from Jacob Soper.

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The tide changed in the final stanza as goals from both David Milner and Benjamin Ealey-Newman – on the powerplay – put the visitors ahead of the first time.

Slough levelled again through Lewis English, but their hearts were broken when Ealey-Newman bagged the winning goal for Bracknell with just 18 seconds left on the clock.

Slough Observer:

It is the second time this season Slough have suffered defeat at the hands of their rivals, but they did win the first meeting on the opening day of the season back in September.

More worrying for the Jets would be the 5-0 defeat at bottom of the league Milton Keynes Thunder on Sunday – just the second match the Buckinghamshire side has won all season.

A goal on the powerplay from Sam Chandler gave Milton Keynes the lead heading into the first break.

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The home team extended the advantage in the middle period with goals from Connor Mellett – on the powerplay – and Sam Prosser.

With Slough unable to find the back of the net, Milton Keynes continued the riot with a Samuel Dean brace – the second on the powerplay – in the final stanza.

The pair of defeats leave Slough in sixth position in the league table and two points behind Bracknell but with three games in hand on their rivals.

The Jets will bid to gain some revenge on Milton Keynes when the Thunder visit The Hangar on Saturday (5.45pm) before a trip to seventh-placed Oxford City Starts on Sunday (6.15pm).