Trip to Hull Arena proves another uncomfortable one for Phantoms

The Hull Arena certainly isn’t one of Phantoms’ happiest hunting grounds.

And they again returned from East Yorkshire emptyhanded last Saturday.

Phantoms did at least show plenty of character after being cast 5-1 adrift to battle back strongly in the closing stages of the NIHL National Division clash.

“We never really feel comfortable in Hull,” admitted head coach Slava Koulikov. “It is a difficult place to go and they are a really good team.

“Once again we showed that we do not give up regardless of the scoreline as we battled back from 5-1 down to 5-3 and also had a couple of magnificent opportunities to get back to 5-4 as well.

“We couldn’t quite claw it back, but we were able to take positives from the game.”

Pirates player-coach Jason

Hewitt made an early breakthrough before Lee Bonner extended their lead late in the opening session.

Steven Chalmers then struck a third Hull goal little more than two minutes into the middle stanza before Nathan Pollard’s fine individual effort put Phantoms on the board.

But one of their former players – Tom Stubley – then made the deficit grow again with a fourth Hull goal before Bonner struck his second in a delayed penalty situation.

That Bonner effort was the first of five goals in the final period with Phantoms responding as Martins Susters and Tom Norton (on a powerplay) cut the arrears.

HULL

3.36 Hewitt ass: Bonner

11.35 Bonner ass: Stubley/Hewitt 22.02 Chalmers ass: Chamberlain/Hewitt 27.22 Stubley ass: Hewitt/Kirk

46.27 Bonner (DP) ass: Kirk/Hewitt 56.14 Hewitt ass: Norris/Chamberlain

PHANTOMS

25.03 N. Pollard ass: C. Pollard 50.43 Susters ass: Stepanek/Buglass 53.36 Norton (PP) ass: Buglass/O’Flaherty 59.43 Padelek ass: Billing/J. Ferrara

HULL

Lee Bonner

PHANTOMS Nathan Pollard

Hewitt – who claimed two goals and four assists in all struck again to end any hopes of a fightback before Ales Padelek made the scoreline more respectable with 17 seconds to go.