Invicta Dynamos face a double header against NIHL South Division 1 league leaders Solent this weekend - but could be missing two key players following a feisty away game.

Defencemen Dan Scott and Regan O’Neil are facing suspensions after last Saturday’s match against Romford Buccaneers turned ugly at the end of the second period, with the score level at 1-1.

Scott was penalised for retaliation after Aaron Connolly was, according to Mos head coach Karl Lennon, “unnecessarily and excessively” taken out with a “malicious hit from behind”.

Home player Harvey Briggs picked up a penalty for boarding but Lennon was unhappy the Romford player wasn’t removed immediately as tempers grew. O’Neil got involved and that led to another five-minute penalty.

The Mos managed to kill off those major penalties and three subsequent minor ones, but then ended up conceding a scrappy second goal and later on a third when they pulled the netminder, leaving them to taste a 3-1 defeat.

Lennon said: “I told the boys that sport is cruel, hockey is cruel sometimes.

“We had used so much energy killing off the penalties that we didn’t have enough left in the tank to go and get the equaliser.

“If it were not for some of the questionable calls, I think we might have been in a much different situation towards the end of that game.”

Player-coach Lennon was on the ice himself during the incident.

He said: “How we came out on the end of that with a penalty kill was beyond me.

“The referees didn’t do enough. I was on the ice myself with Aaron, trying to help him and the physio, and the player that had made the hit was being a bit jestful and not very apologetic.

“The referees in those situations should be removing that player from the situation, putting him in the box or taking him from the ice if they knew they were going to give him a match penalty, and they didn’t.

“The more it went on, the more tension grew and then, of course, Regan O’Neill got involved.

“I heard Regan offer a bout and I heard Harvey Briggs accept the bout and it was a scrap, not much of a scrap because it was pretty one-sided from Regan’s part in the least.

“The guy threw a punch or two towards Regan in that situation. He didn’t have his gloves on and Regan was thrown out of the game with a five-plus game for an unwilling combatant, which I would say was not a true reflection of the situation.”

Prior to the incident, Lennon felt his team were well in the game against a Romford side who had the luxury of including some players from their Raiders first team.

“It was a pretty even encounter through the first and second period,” said the coach.

“There were parts of our game I liked, parts that I didn’t. With about five or so minutes left in the second period the big event happened in the game, which was pretty malicious and really needless.

“The hit from behind was very excessive and very unnecessary. Aaron obviously then had to leave the game for part of the time to get himself back on track for the rest of the game and, of course, our players stepped in to defend him.

“If there is punishment for Regan and Dan that will be a significant loss for us at the back end of our roster.”

The Mos returned to Gillingham on Sunday and picked up a much-needed win, beating Oxford City Stars 9-3.

Connolly was back in action and scored their opener before Tom Soar added a second but Oxford levelled it up by the end of the first period.

Michael Stokes, Soar and James Laming netted in the second period and four more goals came in the third.

The Mos travel to Solent on Saturday. They meet in Gillingham on Sunday (5.45pm).

Sunday’s game will also count towards Invicta’s standing in the group stage of the League Cup. An earlier 4-0 win

over Solent leaves them well placed as they chase a top-two spot.

Lennon said: “There’s quite significant importance on that game at our place because we had a good league and cup win in the first game down there and now we need to try and push for that place in the semi-final.

“There’s a lot riding on both games.”

“We know what we're capable of and our performances in the last few weeks haven't really shown that.

“We need to make sure that we're dialled in for Saturday and Sunday and the guys know that.”

In the league, it’s an opportunity for the Mos to close the gap from their current mid-table position.

“That's the incentive, isn't it?” said the coach.

“Our captain Aaron said something after Saturday's game about no trophies being handed out in November. We won't lose the season now, but we can be out of touch if we don't start to close games out. That's the stark reality of it all.

“I think the team has to remember that part. Now, it's time for kicking on and making sure that we have a good November.

“November is a tough month for us. We have Solent twice, we have Slough Jets, Chelmsford Chieftains and Streatham Redhawks to play in the month as well. It's definitely a month that can be quite defining for us.”