Peterborough Phantoms take the scalp of the league champions to qualify for Finals Weekend

The city side came through a tense weekend to finish second in their group behind league champions Leeds Knights. They will be underdogs in Coventry as the top three in the National League standings have also qualified. Phantoms will tackle third-placed finishers Swindon Wildcats in the first semi-final on Saturday (1.30pm) with Leeds tackling MK Lightning in the second semi-final (5.30pm). The final will take place on Sunday (4pm).

And Phantoms’ past play-off record plus an ability to win big one-off matches means Slava Koulikov’s men should be undaunted by the task ahead. They qualified for Finals Weekend by winning their final group game 5-3 in Leeds on Sunday having suffered a 5-1 home defeat to the same opponents the night before.

Hull Seahawks had joined Phantoms on the same points after a Saturday night success, but they suffered a shock loss to Telford Tigers last night to confirm Phantoms' progress.

LEEDS 3 PHANTOMS 5

The league champions had already qualified for Finals Weekend with their win at Planet Ice the previous evening. They left star netminder Sam Gospel on the bench, but you can be certain they wanted to get rid of the team that beat them in the Play-off FInal last season.

A cracking contest did develop in Leeds which Phantoms finished the stronger to claim a two-goal win.

Matt Barron fired the hosts into an early lead, but Phantoms were level by the end of the first break courtesy of Tom Norton’s 15th-minute goal, assisted by Luke Ferrara and Janne Laakkonen.

It took a superb sliding stop from Scott Robson to keep Phantoms on terms at the start of the second period before top scorer Cam Hough bobbled a shot through a crowd of players to give the city side a 2-1 lead in the 23rd minute. Phantoms netminder Hayden Lavigne then made a big stop, but Matt Bissonnette equalised for Leeds on 28 minutes.

It was now nip and tuck as Phantoms went back in fron in the 35th minute through Jarvis Hunt, but the champions hit straight back within 60 seconds with a second Barron goal.

The second session ended 3-3, but it was Phantoms who managed to pull clear in the final period with two goals in the first three minutes from Duncan Speirs and Nathan Salem. Speirs rifled home a terrific shot, while Salem forced the puck home from close range following a scramble in front of the Leeds net.

Phantoms had to put bodies on the line to stay in front and Lavigne pulled off one remarkable stop before the celebrations could begin.

PHANTOMS 1, LEEDS 5

Phantoms felt the full force of a top side on home ice. It was 4-0 to the visitors before Luke Ferrara got the hosts on the board with help from Callum Buglass and Laakkonen in the 53rd minute.

Leeds insisted on the final word though with a goal from Kieran Brown. Fin Bradon had earlier scored twice for the Knights with Oli Endicott and Bissonnette also on target.

Jasper Foster was named Phantoms’ man-of-the-match. Speirs took the award the following night.