Two third period short-handed goals in the space of just over two minutes cost Phantoms dear in their clash with Manchester Phoenix on Sunday evening.

The game started brightly for Phantoms with Maris Ziedins lighting the lamp inside the first minute and a Joe Miller goal gave Phantoms a 1-2 lead going into the first break. Phoenix came out fired up for the second, outshooting Phantoms 26-9 on the period and not surprisingly they finished it 3-2 ahead with goals from Bowie and Lachowicz.

The final period started badly for Phantoms as Walker extended the Phoenix lead with just 1:14 on the period and the same player then completed a straight hat-trick with two short-handed breakaway markers at the period midpoint to kill the game. Brent Gough offered a quick response from Phantoms at 51:52 but there was no more scoring until the final minute when Shaun Yardley scored a consolation goal to end the scoring at 6-4. Phantoms man of the match was Joe Miller.

Next weekend sees two games on the road for Phantoms as they visit league leaders Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday and league basement boys Romford Raiders on Sunday. The next home game will be on Thursday 18th March when Manchester Phoenix are the visitors for an 8:00pm face-off.

Saturday evening saw yet another in the series of full-on encounters between the Phantoms and Guildford Flames with Tim Peacock’s fired up Phantoms coming out on top 5-2.

With Callum Fowler back from his long standing injury, only the absence of the suspended Warren Tait kept Phantoms from icing a full strength roster. The in-form Flames dominated possession throughout the opening period but found the Phantoms rearguard both determined and disciplined while at the other end the forwards were making the most of the limited chances coming their way with Brent Gough lashing home a loose puck on 1:12 and Maris Ziedins finishing sharply on 4:10.

Phantoms lost Doug MacIver midway through the second period with what appeared to be a repeat of his previous knee injury and Flames took immediate advantage to pull a goal back through the impressive Duggan but the two goal margin was quickly restored after a neat pass from Joe Miller found Maris Ziedins in front and he nailed his second goal of the game for 3-1.

Flames kept the fans on the edges of their seats by pulling a goal back through Plant midway through the third but James Ferrara grabbed a crucial breakaway marker with just 1:44 left on the clock, leaving Flames to pull their netminder for a desperate late push. Despite an immediate spell of pressure, Phantoms made a steal in their own end and James Knight worked the puck down the boards before firing home an empty net goal to finish the scoring.

Phantoms man of the match was netminder Stephen Wall.

A bumper midweek crowd turned out to support the 2010 Charity Game on Wednesday evening with the two teams of novice skaters putting on a tremendous show to entertain onlookers through to the final minute. The battle between Zee’s Flyers, coached by Maris Ziedins, and Wall’s Warriors, coached by Stephen Wall, went right down to the wire with a late goal from man-of-the-match Leigh Porter securing a 5-4 victory for the Flyers.

Phantoms officials would like to thank all of those who took part and who threw themselves, often quite literally, into the fund raiser along with the spectators who came along to support the event and all of those who kindly and generously donated the equipment needed for the game to take place.

Images from the game can be purchased as part of the fund-raiser from the Phantoms Photo Store at http://www.photoboxgallery.com/PhantomsPhotoStore and there will be a full match night DVD of the game, with commentary, available early next week ….. more details to follow.

Phantoms dropped just the one point in their back to back match-ups with the Bracknell Bees at the weekend, extending their unbeaten streak to five games.

Saturday night’s home fixture saw Phantoms race into a decisive three goal first period lead thanks to goals from Joe Miller, James Spurr and Maris Ziedins. That lead was extended to five by the second break as man of the match James Knight and Brent Gough added to the scoring and James Ferrara’s early marker in the final period made it six different goalscorers as Tim Peacock’s side eased away to a 6-1 victory.

Sunday’s game at the Hive proved a different proposition for Phantoms as the home side jumped out of the blocks much sharper and deservedly took the first period courtesy of a Bicknell goal on 3:38. With Phantoms struggling against a more tenacious Bees side, desperate to secure points in their battle to make the play-offs, goals from Kaminskas and Pinc took Bees well clear in the second period but a late powerplay marker from man of the match Joe Miller at least gave Phantoms some hope going into the final twenty.

Brent Gough delivered exactly what Phantoms needed with a goal just 22 seconds into the final period after which Bees were forced onto the back foot as they tried to defend against a resurgent Phantoms side. It was hot-shot Joe Miller that eventually broke through on 50:35 and the same player completed his hat-trick on 57:04 to seemingly secure the points for Phantoms but late penalty trouble cost Phantoms dear as Greg Randall scrambled home during a 5on3 powerplay with just 32 seconds left on the game. The same two man advantage carried over into overtime and Kaminskas scrambled home to secure the extra point on 61:47.

Next weekend sees Phantoms face-off against two of the league’s big guns with Guildford Flames visiting Bretton for a 7pm face-off on Saturday before travelling to Manchester Phoenix on Sunday evening.

Damien King is recovering this week from a car crash at the weekend that saw him miss Sunday night’s game against Slough. Club officials, players and fans would like to wish Damien and his girlfriend Laura a very speedy recovery.