IT was always going to be a tricky weekend for Deeside Dragons.

The unbeaten start to the season came to a halt with a heavy 11-1 reverse away to last season’s league winners Billingham Stars and this was followed 24 hours later by an 8-1 home defeat at the hands of Blackburn Hawks.

On the back of the first defeat, assistant head coach Matt Compton told Billingham Stars TV: “We missed a few guys, but I don’t think we can use that as an excuse.

“I don’t think that was a good representation of us as a team tonight. It was a tough night.”

Billingham were 3-0 to the good by the end of the first period and Will Harper struck his first goal for the Dragons, who trailed 7-1 at the next break.

Compton added: “We had a plan. We didn’t quite stick to it and when that plan broke down, that’s when they scored goals.

“So concede two short-handed goals, that’s unacceptable on our own part. You know, we can’t be doing that.”

Deeside were always playing catch-up against Blackburn and they trailed 3-0 at the first interval.

Another three Hawks’ goals followed in the next period, while Ross Kennedy grabbed a Dragons’ consolation before the end.

Other results: Hull Jets 9 Widnes Wild 2; Solihull Barons 1 Hull Jets 6; Whitley Warriors 4 Nottingham Lions 1; Widnes Wild 3 Billingham Stars 6.

Deeside Ducks put in a plucky performance in their first ever league game, only narrowly losing out 5-4 to the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

The Ducks’ first ever league goal in Division Two came on 12 minutes and 32 seconds, and it was scored by Thomas Milnes, assisted by Charlie Spridgeon and the score stood at 1-1 at the first interval.

Two unanswered goals in the second period, plus a couple more early in the third, saw the Sharks leading 5-1 with a quarter-of-an-hour left to play.

A strike from team captain Chris Jones and two from Cody Ogden drew the home side to within one goal of their opponents, but there was no further scoring in the tense finale.

The MVP awards were donated and presented by Richard Beevers, CEO of Customer Plus - one of the Ducks’ team sponsors for the season – and they went to Joe Gray (Kingston) and Deeside netminder Callum Preston.

The Ducks now have two away games to look forward to in the league and they are next at home on September 29 when they take on the Sheffield Titans.