Peterborough Phantoms launch 'GoFundMe' page for stricken star, plus two home defeats in three days for the city skaters

Forward Speirs broke his leg and suffered ankle ligament damage during Friday’s National League game against MK Lightning at Planet Ice.

Speirs is due to have surgery this week, but will suffer a financial hit as he won’t be able to work for an extended period. Ice hockey players in the UK tend to be semi-professional while holding down a job outside of the sport.

The Phantoms Facebook page has details of the appropriate GoFundMe page. The initial target is £5k and over £3k had been raised early on Sunday evening.

Dunca Speirs celebrates a Phantoms goal. Photo Darrill Stoddart.

It was a bad weekend results-wise in the National League for Phantoms as they lost the MK game 4-1 and then suffered a 7-1 home reverse at the hands of Hull Seahawks on Sunday.

Phantoms actually took the lead after just 20 seconds of the MK match when top scorer Luke Ferrara struck following good work from Austin Mitchell-King and Lukas Sladkovsky.

But the visitors levelled through Liam Stewart in the seventh minute and that’s how it stayed until the end of the first period with Jarvis Hunt missing the best Phantoms’ chance before Mitchell-King forced a fine save from the MK netminder.

Phantoms’ netminder Jordan Marr worked hard to keep second-placed MK at bay in the second period, but he was beaten from close range in the 38th minute by Mack Stewart. Speirs’ injury meant the second period ended early as he received treatment before leaving the ice on a stretcher.

Rory Hermann and James Griffin scored for MK in the final period.

On Sunday Phantoms started out ok with Hunt going close early on and they were in touch at the end of the first period at 1-2 after Hunt, assisted by Mitchell-King and man-of-the-match Ralfs Circenis responded to two Hull goals.

But that was as good as it got for the city who were 4-1 down after two periods before conceding three more goals in the final stanza.

Phantoms have a double-header against Solway Sharks next weekend, away on Saturday and at home on Sunday (5.30pm face-off).