Phantoms holding their own in exciting start to the National League season after beating the leaders in dramatic fashion

The Peterborough Phantoms have won four of their opening five matches – three of them in added time or penalties - and yet sit fourth ahead of games at home to Hull Seahawks on Saturday (7pm face-off) and at second-placed Telford Tigers on Sunday (6pm).

Phantoms are level on points with third-placed MK Lightning, who inflicted the city side’s only defeat of the season last weekend, and fifth-placed Leeds Knights. They are all just three points behind leaders Swindon Wildcats who lost for the first time to the city side after a terrific tussle at Planet Ice last Sunday.

Tom Norton was the Phantoms hero as they claimed a dramatic overtime win over the Wildcats, 24 hours after Ashley Tait’s side had gone down 8-4 in MK.

The clash with the unbeaten Wildcats was a tight one, with Phantoms getting off to a flying start thanks to a Luke Ferrara goal with little more than four minutes on the clock. The Phantoms captain found space to the left of goal and ripped his shot into the back of the net.

The visitors were soon level though, as Sam Godfrey released Tyler Watkins and the American forward finished low past Hayden Lavigne with 10:48 on the clock. Lavigne saved the other 48 shots on his goal!

Both sides then pressed for a winner, but the finishing was wayward and the match headed into overtime after ending 1-1.

It was end-to-end stuff, and after Cam Hough had raced back to deny what looked like a certain Swindon breakaway goal, Norton took his chance at the other end ripping home into the far corner from the right circle to seal the win.

Phantoms found themselves 3-1 down inside the opening six minutes, despite taking the lead after just 79 seconds through Ralfs Circenis.

Toms Rutkis levelled just four seconds later, and further goals from Jordan Cownie and Sean Norris had Phantoms on the rack.

Former MK star Dillon Lawrence pulled one back to make it 3-2 at 11:42, but the home side scored again to lead 4-2 at the end of the first period.

There were chances for Ferrera and Morgan Clarke-Pizzo to reduce the arrears at the start of the second, but they weren't taken and Lightning stretched their lead to 5-2 thanks to a strike from Milique Martelly, with Rutkis making it 6-2.

The final period saw Phantoms bring the score back to 6-4 thanks to goals from Cownie and Lawrence, but the home side withstood the fightback, and then had the final say with two more goals to wrap up the victory.