SCOTT SPEARING is confident the tough times are in the past for Bracknell Bees after they ended their 10-match losing run with victory over Swindon Wildcats.
Bees went into their clash at The Hive on Saturday having not won since the beginning of November, but thrashed Swindon 7-2 to stop the rot.
After a flying start to the campaign, Bracknell’s form tumbled after problems off the ice including player-coach Spearing suffering a serious head injury following an accident at work.
But having now made a full recovery, all of Spearing’s focus is now on pushing up from fourth in the NIHL Division 1 South table with games against fellow play-off hopefuls Swindon and Basingstoke Bison to come this weekend.
“I definitely think we’ve turned the corner,” Spearing told The Wokingham Paper.
“We’re back on track.
“Everything is really positive in the dressing room and everyone’s head is in the right place now and everyone is firing on all cylinders.
“It’s two massive games this weekend but we’re looking at taking four points from them and really showing everyone that we’re back on form.
“They are important points in the league to try and catch the guys that are just above you, so each game is worth four points really.”
READ: Bees face Hornets in charity fundraiser
While the run was stopped by the 7-2 success on Saturday, in what was a National Cup dead rubber with Bees already elminated, the two sides locked horns again in the same competition on Monday.
And Wildcats produced a storming third quarter to win 5-3 to leave it at one win apiece in
this run of three successive games between the pair.
“I think the most important thing is that we keep building back to where we want to be and not worry about wins or losses,” said Spearing.
“We just want to keep moving forward and taking little steps at a time and making sure everyone is performing on the ice the way we should be.
“When we’re playing the way we should be, we know that the wins are going to come.
“It was a good wake-up call (on Monday) to show that we’re not just going to get one win and everything is going to be back on form and we’re just going to keep winning now.”
After tasting victory in nine of their first 10 league games, Bracknell were well in the title mix.
But having now played 16, Bees are 10 points adrift of leaders Basingstoke with top spot looking increasingly unlikely.
However, Spearing says he is not too concerned where his side finishes before the end of season clashes.
“With regards to the league it is just about being as consistent as possible and try to set all the good habits in place,” he said.
“The position you come is the position you come. The most important thing is you get a good run into the end of the year, ready for the play-offs.
“That’s the one everybody wants to win.
“It’s lovely to win the league but play-offs is the gritty hockey and when everyone turns it on.
“At the moment we’re all focussed on just winning a game at a time, a shift at a time and making sure we compete every time we’re on the ice and we’ll build from there.
“Whatever happens with the league happens with the league and we’ll look to dominate the play-offs as much as we can.”
