Peterborough Phantoms hit Bees for six in a bruising encounter at Planet Ice

Phantoms also recorded a shutout in a bruising encounter straight after conceding 15 goals in two weekend matches. The return of senior netminder Hayden Lavigne helped as he claimed the man-of-the-match award from a 6-0 win.

The success left Phantoms in sixth place, but just two points off fourth spot. The team in fourth, Hull Seahawks. visit Planet Ice on Sunday (5.30pm faceoff).

There was no sign of the one-sided scoreline to come in a dour first period which finished goalless. There were chances at either end with Luke Ferrara going close for Phantoms, while Lavigne stayed tall at the other end.

But Phantoms broke the game open at the start of the second period with four goals arriving in the first six-and-a-half minutes. Top scorer Cam Hough netted from a rebound and 61 seconds later Ferrara found the corner of the net. Two powerplay goals within 20 seconds of each other from Duncan Speirs and Austin Mitchell-King then gave Phantoms a lead they never looked like relinquishing.

The city side continued to dominate with Ferrara twice denied by a scrambling defence. Speirs did add his second goal in the 50th minute and young Louie Kynaston completed the scoring on a most satisfactory night four minutes from time.

By then visiting import netminder Max Wright had been ejected for blocker punching Nathan Salem