Telford Tigers’ defender Adam Jones says it is hard to underestimate the importance of this weekend’s games against title rivals MK Lightning.
The two teams meet with just three points separating them at the top of the EPL, and honours even in their two games so far this season.
Their last meeting saw league leaders Telford come out on top in a gripping encounter that almost ended in a mass brawl, when tempers flared on the final whistle.
Jones, who has impressed since his summer move from Canada, is looking forward to this weekend’s home-and-away series of matches.
He said: “The more important the games are, the more excited the guys get about playing in them. They are both really important matches, as we can start to separate ourselves from Milton Keynes this weekend.
“Of course, they have a talented squad and could also draw level with us in the league or overtake. They are huge games.”
Last weekend saw Telford recover from a 6-0 defeat in Hull on Saturday to beat Guildford Flames 4-1 the next day – a result that Jones believes is proof of his side’s potential to remain in the title race.
“We talked about what happened after the game on Saturday, got on the bus and forgot about it, as we had another big game the next day,” added Jones.
“We did a pretty good job in beating Guildford. One of the things that Jonathan Weaver mentioned is that in a championship team, you never lose two in a row.
“There was a big push from all the lads to come back, have a good game and take the two points on Sunday.”
The 20-year-old, who trained in Telford as youngster before moving to Canada with his family, is enjoying life back in his home country.
“It is good here in Telford and I’m living with some great housemates,” he said.
“I’ve played with lads my own age all my life, so to play with guys like Weaves every week is a great chance to learn and improve.
“On Sunday, three of our goals came from defence and we work a lot on shooting from the point in training, trying to get a good tip-in.
“Defence always comes first for me, but if you can contribute up front every once in a while, that has got to be good.”
(Image permission: Steve Brodie)
