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Guildford 4, Phantoms 3 - Phantoms get out of a jam and claw their way back
PHANTOMS go into the second leg of their EPL Cup Final a goal down after being beaten at the Spectrum last night - but it could have been a whole lot worse.
PHANTOMS go into the second leg of their EPL Cup Final a goal down after being beaten at the Spectrum last night - but it could have been a whole lot worse.With the M25 living up to its name as the 'Road from Hell', coach Colin Patterson was forced into several late changes just minutes before the start of the game to cover for players stuck gridlocked on the world's slowest oval.
This meant Phantoms had to set about the monumental task of recording their first ever win in Guildford without defensive lynchpin Dwayne Newman and their first choice goalie. It was a logistical cock-up which almost cost them dear.
For the first few minutes as shots thundered past back-up netminder Euan King and things looked very bad indeed, surely everyone must have been thinking the same thing - 'where's Wally?'
Padding up in the locker room was the answer and by the time Stephen Wall did arrive on the ice his side were 3-1 down and holding on for dear life.
But after such a shambolic start, Phantoms got their act together and through a combination of hard work and smart finishing, managed to earn themselves a real chance of lifting the cup in Bretton next Thursday.
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Patterson said: "Well all I can say is that we did the best in difficult circumstances. We threw Euan in because he has done well here in the past and Stephen had only just arrived when the game started.
"It was hard luck on Euan as Guildford started really well but once we got Stephen in there we settled and got right back into the game.
"Despite being short-benched anyway without all the other problems, we got it together, worked hard and created a lot of chances and in the end we could perhaps have got a couple more goals.
"But I said before that even if we were two goals down we would have a chance at our place. We have given ourselves a great chance and getting that third goal 10 minutes before the end was vital for us.
"Now we have to make sure we get everything right next Thursday, we are good enough to beat them and confidence is high."
And doubtless Patterson will be delighted if his side start that game like they did last night's when Joe Miller fired them into a surprise lead just 23 seconds in.
But he certainly wouldn't want a repeat of what came after.Stung by the early blow, Guildford repsonded by tearing into their guests like a bug-eyed maniac at a paper ripping contest.
It was no place to be for a young keeper who, no matter how talented, has simply not had the ice time to be slung head first into such an onslaught.
With the rubber flying his way from all directions, King looked ill-prepared and out of sorts after his late call-up and Rob Lamey was quick to take advantage when he lashed home Lukas Smital's sumptious pass to swiftly level things up.
Seconds later Smital put Guildford ahead as the pressure intensified before Lamey grabbed his second after being gifted too much time through the middle to pick his spot from 10 yards out.
Luckily and just in the nick of time, Wall arrived like a knight in shining body armour and promptly produced an excellent save with his feet to deny Lamey his hat-trick.
Having just about survived the early blitzkrieg on their goal, Phantoms finally began to settle and exert a little more control with both Nathan Rempel and Brent Gough going close.
But after the restart the revival looked in peril when Milos Melicherik tucked in Guildford's fourth before a second late arrival stormed onto the scene with decisive effect.
Having missed the first act due to traffic, Newman made sure he left his mark on the second by motoring in a ferocious drive from the blue line to make it 4-2.
It was an act of defiance which galvanised Phantoms who enjoyed the better chances in the final period and after pulling back another through Shaun Yardley midway through, were unlucky not to add to their tally after dominating the latter stages.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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