Peterborough Phantoms slip to second defeat of the National League season
Peterborough Phantoms slipped to just a second defeat of the National League season in Telford on Sunday night.
The city skaters were beaten 4-1 by ‘The Tigers’ and dropped two places to fourth in a tightly-contested top of the table.
Phantoms will attempt to bounce back at leaders Swindon Wildcats on Saturday and then at home to bottom club Solway Sharks at Planet Ice on Sunday (5.30pm face-off). Phantoms are the only team to have beaten Swindon this season.
Phantoms lost the match in Telford during a one-sided second period when the hosts scored all four of their goals. The first period had finished goalless with Phantoms finally getting on the scoreboard 25 seconds into the final stanza through Luke Ferrara, assisted by Janne Laakkonen and Dillon Lawrence.
But, despite plenty of pressure on the home goal, there was no further scoring enabling Telford to move above their victims in the the table. Richard Hartmann, Cam Hough and Corey McEwen all went close.
Man-of-the-match Billy Thorpe went closest to scoring for Phantoms in a first-half which saw visiting netminder Hayden Lavigne shine.
Standings: 1 Swindon P8 15pts, 2 Leeds P8 12pts, 3 Telford P7 11pts, 4 PHANTOMS P7 10pts, 5 Sheffield P8 9pts, 6 MK P8 9pts, 7 Hull P7 5pts, 8 Romford P7 5pts, 9 Bristol P7 3pts, 10 Basingstoke P3 2pts, Solway P7 2pts.
Phantoms had jumped up to second place after a resilient 4-3 win over Hull Seahawks at Planet Ice on Saturday night.
Ferrara scored twice and Jasper Foster and Hough also netted as Phantoms twice came from behind before taking control of the contest in the final period. It was a fitting way to celebrate the 300th Phantoms’ appearance for defenceman Callum Buglass.
The visitors probably felt it wasn’t going to be their night as they saw two ‘goals’ disallowed in the early stages, but they did take the lead on 14.37 when Ethan Hehir followed up to score the rebound after a Beau Reader strike on goal.
But Phantoms drew level in the final minute of the first period, when Ferrara blasted a shot right through Hull netminder Jordan McLaughlin.
A classic end-to-end second period followed with the visitors nosing back in front on 32.17 through Lee Bonner, but Phantoms again responded to equalise as Foster’s shot found the top corner of the net on 37.54.
There remained very little between the teams in the final period until Ferrara and Hough scored in a four-minute spell. Laakkonen teed up Ferrara to claim his second goal on 47.40 before Hough prodded home from close range after a Lawrence shot had been blocked during a powerplay.
Hull kept battling and pulled a goal back with 51 seconds to go through Johnny Cornell, but Phantoms stood firm.