It seems the recent home defeat to Swindon Wildcats has served only to move Phantoms up another gear that has not just exacted revenge in Swindon’s back yard last night but has now inflicted the worst defeat of the season on third placed Bracknell on Sunday evening.
Such is the confidence level across the team and in the stands that going behind in a game barely raises a concern anymore as this team will not be rocked back and will simply stick to their gameplan regardless. Aidan Doughty’s goal on 12:35 was well deserved ….. Bees had been the better team at that point and were playing with a lot of enthusiasm as well as an uncharacteristic discipline that was keeping their usual suspects on the ice rather than in the sin bin.
Against the run of play, Phantoms tied the game just over a minute later when Jarvis Hunt made a smart move on his marker before firing home through the five-hole for his debut goal at senior level. A draw was probably the best that Phantoms deserved in the first but a late Scott Robson goal gave them the lead courtesy of an unfortunate delay of game call and also courtesy of a diving finish from close range as Dean Skinns laboured to control a rebound.
Bees were still the livelier team at the start of the second and a very harsh interference call on Rob Ferrara set up Bees for the game tieing goal with Ryan Watt showing some neat moves to carve through the Phantoms D before beating Jordan Marr with a neat wristshot. Again, Phantoms wasted no time in responding and were back in front just over a minute later when Petr Stepanek crashed one over the shoulder of Skinns from some distance …… a shot that the experienced Skinns should have done better with.
The game was then, in-effect, killed off with two show-reel finishes from Martins Susters. The first came at 28:02 with a sharp wristshot beating Skinns from a Petr Stepanek feed which saw off Skinns and brought on Danny Milton who was then also beaten by a top-drawer Susters one-timer on the powerplay at 35:54. A further powerplay opportunity then threatened a total meltdown as Tom Norton’s trademark blue-liner found the lower corner of the net despite Milton seeming to have it covered …… 6-2 at the second break.
With a Cup Final looming on the immediate horizon, priorities in the third would be to keep a lid on any reposte from Bees and that’s exactly what Phantoms did as they continued to roll four lines against a tiring Bees side. Nathan Long beat Milton to put Phantoms 7-2 up with another blue liner that would sit in the “really should be saving those” category and Shaun Thompson grabbed a late consolation for Bees with a tidy finish from his own rebound on 58:55.
Phantoms MOM was the lively two-goal Martins Susters.
Wednesday night sees Phantoms in Sheffield for the first leg of the Autumn Cup Final and next weekend its Milton Keynes on the road Saturday and another huge Bretton hockey night on Sunday as the Wildcats of Swindon hit town looking to strike back after Saturday night’s result …… fun times !
Game stats HERE.