The struggles continue for Peterborough Phantoms who already face an uphill task to reach the play-offs

A pair of weekend defeats, 10-3 at local rivals MK Lightning on Saturday and a 4-1 home loss to Telford Tigers on Sunday, has left Phantoms next-to-bottom of the National League table and eight points adrift of eighth place, the last play-off spot.

It’s now eight defeats in nine outings for Phantoms, a run of form that has already seen off head coach Ash Tait with his replacement Nathan Pollard yet to spark an improvement.

It’s not likely to get any better in a hurry as Phantoms are at Telford next Saturday (November 7) before hosting the table-topping MK side.

Standings: 1 MK P14 24pts, 2 Hull P14 22pts, 3 Romford P15 20pts, 4 Swindon P13 20pts, 5 Leeds P15 18pts, 6 Telford P14 18pts, 7 Basingstoke P15 16pts, 8 Sheffield P15 16pts, 9 Solway P14 8pts, 10 Phantoms P15 8pts, 11 Bristol P14 4pts.

Scott McKenzie’s hat-trick proved to be the difference for Telford at Planet Ice last night. Phantoms competed well, but couldn’t find a killer touch in front of goal past an inspired netminder.

It was quiet opening with Phantoms skipper Luke Ferrara testing visiting netminder Brad Day after a fine feed from Dillon Lawrence, but the visitors took the lead through McKenzie from close range towards the end of the first period.

Phantoms went close to an equaliser early in the second period when Janne Laakkonen dropped a pass for the onrushing Lawrence, but his shot was well saved by Day.

After Phantoms netminder Will Bray had done well to deny Rhodes Mitchell-King and Finley Howells, ‘The Tigers’ did eventually find a second goal just past the midway point as McKenzie redirected Jeremy Michaud’s shot into the roof of the net.

Phantoms hit back two minutes later when Lawrence drove to the net and, after his shot was saved, Ferrara was on hand to convert the rebound and put the Phantoms on the board.

And they pressed hard for a leveller with Ferrara (twice) and Lawrence both denied by an in-form Day.

But it Telford who scored next to make it 3-1 going into the final session. Mitchell-King’s blue line effort found its way through traffic in front, and into the top corner of Bray’s net.

Phantoms had an early powerplay in the third and it was Ferrara again who went closest with a first time shot, but Day made another good stop to deny him.

Barni Sari, Flynn Massie and Dom Gabaj all saw efforts stopped as the match wore on, before Sari was denied for a second time with a big chance in the closing moments.

Phantoms pulled Bray in favour of the extra skater in the closing moments, but McKenzie sent home his hat-trick goal from his own defensive zone to ensure both points would return to Shropshire.

Phantoms started the Sunday game reeling from their hammering in MK who led 10-1 after just two periods, but the city side restored some pride in the final stanza. That made it 18 goals conceded in back-to-back away games after an 8-2 loss at Romford in midweek.

Phantoms did get level in the first period through Ferrara, but it was 4-1 at the first break with MK adding six unanswered goals in the second session. Lawrence and Rais Francis scored goals for Phantoms early in the third period.