Phantoms impressive unbeaten run ended on Sunday evening as Swindon Wildcats exacted a degree of revenge for their recent Autumn Cup semi-final defeat.
Phantoms started the game with the sort of confidence and composure that you might expect from a team hinting at invincibility and, unlike in the last match-up at Bretton, the Wildcats didn’t seem quite as fired up as many expected but despite creating chances, Phantoms failed to convert and took a sucker punch at 10:31 when the Ferrara/Padelek/Billing line ran out of gas on a Cats breakout to leave a 4on2 that was despatched with consummate ease by player-coach Aaron Nell. Both sides wasted chances after that but the single goal survived untouched through to the first break.
Period two started with Phantoms finishing off a powerplay from the opening twenty but it served up the perfect early response as Ales Padelek found space to lash home just 29 seconds after the restart. Home fans would have been excused for thinking that the script was now established for a Phantoms assault but Cats had a script of their own and a pre-festive game of defensive statues gifted Floyd Taylor the opportunity to carve his way through to Jordan Marr who had no chance with a neat wristshot finish.
If that goal didn’t shake the home support, it certainly shook Phantoms as D-men suddenly looked uncharacteristically uneasy when faced with onrushing Cats and Jordan Marr was bouncing out rebounds that suggested he was far from comfortable too. The writing was on the wall and sure enough, at 26:28, Loris Taylor found himself the spare man right in front on a powerplay and it was 1-3. Phantoms had chances to strike back but Renny Marr had the family Marr’s stash of confidence tonight and was keeping it all neat and tidy while repeated odd-man rushes at the other end had fans hiding behind their seats in fear of even greater scoreboard damage.
Loris Taylor was the man who eventually inflicted that damage on 36:42 as, once again, Phantoms D-men were caught flat-footed by the pace of a Cats break and with the added support of another close range rebound, it was 1-4 Cats and surely game over. Being this far behind is not something this Phantoms side are used to and certainly Petr Stepanek was ready to unleash his own Plan B as he gambled on a Susters shot to pick up a huge bounce off the backboards to crash home the rebound …… 2-4 at the second break.
An early goal in the third would have the place rocking but Cats knew that too and every ounce of effort launched at the visitors D was matched by superb and well organised defending and the clock ticked down at alarming pace for the home fans. The final nail in Phantoms coffin came at 48:41 when no Phantoms player had spotted Jan Kostal trailing in from deep and his big finish was way too hot for Jordan Marr to handle. Will Weldon grabbed a late consolation when he tapped home from inches after a determined Ales Padelek had bounced one off a cats D-man but, despite pulling Jordan Marr on 57:38, there was only time for a brutal demolition of Sam Jones by a fired up and frustrated Ales Padelek and the game ended 2-5.
Phantoms MOM was Ales Padelek.
Phantoms will certainly point at each and every goal conceded tonight and know that they should have done better on all of them …… they made mistakes and they were punished for those mistakes but the bottom line was that Cats were the better team in every department and thoroughly deserved their victory. On this showing, they truly ARE the #1 seeds in this season’s NIHL South but seasoned EPL watchers will know that Cats have repeatedly failed to win the league previously because they are prone to meltdowns and prone to losing games they shouldn’t lose.
In 2009, Phantoms won the league despite losing five out of six games against the #1 side Guildford. When asked how they achieved that, Phantoms coach Patterson shrugged his shoulders and said “we won the games we were supposed to win” and that has to be Phantoms focus now …… switch straight back on for next weekend and start building a new unbeaten run. If Cats are going to live up to their #1 ranking, lets make 100% certain that we don’t make it easy for them !
Game stats HERE