MATTY DAVIES could have chosen to hide from his Hull Seahawks’ nightmare start to life in NIHL National on opening weekend - but, just like throughout his playing career, he refused to shirk the challenge.

Seeing his under-strength team hammered 12-0 at Swindon Wildcats on Saturday night will have been tough to take for the injured Davies as he marshalled his players from the bench at the Link Centre.

And while the margin of defeat at home to Milton Keynes Lightning was less the following evening - the Seahawks going down 9-0 - the anguish will have been more keenly felt in front of their own fans.

But, despite the setback, the 32-year-old player-coach came out fighting in the immediate aftermath of his team’s heavy home defeat, backing his players and vowing that the short-benched situation is only temporary.

As well as Davies himself (lower-body) and captain Sam Towner (head) missing through injury at the weekend, import forwards Andrej Themár and Emil Svec remain stuck in Europe awaiting visa clearance.

Experienced ‘D’ Declan Balmer was also missing from the Hull line-up due to prior commitments.

“It was a really tough one,” said Davies. “I really feel quite sorry for the lads right now. I know that isn’t probably what they want to hear, or what anyone else would want to hear at this point, but it’s just where we’re at.

“At the end of the day I know it’s not an excuse that fans want to hear, they just come and they want to see their team do well, and I’m sure people understand the situation but at the same time, we aren’t in this just to be kicked on every weekend, that’s just not going to happen.

TOUGH NIGHT: Bobby Streetly rounds the back of the Hull Seahawks net during Sunday's 9-0 home defeat to Milton Keynes Lightning. Picture courtesy of Tony King/Seahawks Media.

“I told them (the players), this is very temporary. Stuff will be changed, people will come in - we aren’t here to get beat like that every week.”

It remains to be seen whether Themar and Svec arrive in time for this weekend, or if Davies and Towner are cleared to play, but it is unlikely to get any easier for the Seahawks given they face a double-header against defending league champions, Telford Tigers, the first clash being in Shropshire on Saturday, with the return clash facing off on home ice for Hull at 5.30pm on Sunday.

While Hull were involved in a weekend of damage limitation, Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge was able to look back on a perfect return with wins at home to Telford and on the road at Raiders IHC.

Several candidates leapt to the front in terms of standout performances - most notably forwards Grant Cooper, Kieran Brown and Cole Shudra - but Aldridge (pictured) was pleased with the way his entire roster performed.

BIG NIGHT: Hull Seahawks' player-coach Matty Davies (right) presents former Hull Stingrays' forward Jereme Tendler with a special replica jersey, his number - 27 - being retired to the Hull Ice Arena rafters prior to Sunday's NIHL National home game against Milton Keynes Lightning. Goalscoring legend Tendler became a favourite with fans during four seasons with the club between 2010-2014. Picture courtesy of Tony King'Seahawks Media

“It was nice to see the points spread out across our top two lines, but our third line has got good, skilled hockey players, too,” he said. “Those top two lines are going to be hard to stop and if teams shut one line down, I feel the other line can still punish them. And that’s good.

"We needed that secondary scoring, we relied too heavily on two or three guys last year. Now we’ve got six or seven to rely on.”

Leeds Knights and Hull Seahawks coaches reflect on NIHL National opening weekend of contrasting fortunes