The Wightlink Raiders were reeling this week after a magnificent play-off victory over Cardiff Devils was overturned by the league’s governing body the English Ice Hockey Association.

They ruled that the Island team had iced an ineligible player in their first playoff game against Devils, a ruling that gifted the Welsh side the two points despite the Raiders win.

A recent rule change issued by the EIHA regarding the eligibility of players to participate in the post season playoffs led the Raiders to believe that they were able to promote impressive youngster Richard Nembard from their sister team the Wightlink Tigers.

The Raiders management team sought clarification from the EIHA prior to the game, and were confident that the written confirmation they received left no doubt that the player was able to take part in the playoff campaign.

In a stunning performance that raised the roof at Ryde Arena the Raiders went on to secure a 7-5 win against the Devils to put their playoff hopes firmly on track. But the following day the team arrived in Cardiff for the return leg of the back-to-back games to be met by an EIHA representative and informed that Nembard had been ruled ineligible to play.

The bombshell was later officially delivered to the Raiders, with the EIHA awarding the first game to Cardiff with a 5-0 score line. Upon appeal by the Raiders the league reduced the score line to 0-0 with the two points still being gifted to Cardiff.

Raiders director Geoff Underwood is clear this was not a Raiders mistake. He said: “If there was any doubt, there is no way we would have risked playing an illegal player at such an important time. We firmly believed that having it in writing from our governing body would be sufficient.

“This decision gifts two points to Cardiff, and is potentially damaging to the other team in our group as well as ourselves. I want to make this quite clear: This was NOT a Raiders error.”

Ice Hockey fans from around the country have been united and vocal in protest to the decision to award the game to Cardiff, and despite being told by the EIHA that there could be no further appeal process the Raiders organisation continues to dispute the ruling.

The Raiders team will get back to business this weekend as they face the Chelmsford Chieftains at Ryde Arena on Saturday before heading up to Essex on Sunday for the return leg and the final game of the playoff group stages.

The team are fired up for the two big games in the knowledge that if results go their way they can still qualify for the playoff finals even after being questionably docked two hard-earned points.