The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
From agony in Leeds to ecstasy in North Bretton
The agony of a Saturday night penalty shootout defeat in Leeds was soon forgotten as local rivals MK Lightning were put to the sword at Planet Ice 24 hours later.
Phantoms led 4-1 in Leeds thanks to goals from junior Leon Markey - his first for the club - Duncan Speirs, Callum Buglass and Ales Padalek, but a remarkable three-goal burst in just 80 seconds from the home side made it 4-4 with 25 minutes to go.
Surprisingly there were no further goals in normal time or in five minutes of over time and it was Leeds who won on penalty shots after a nerve-wracking finale.
Glen Billing missed the final penalty, but he was a much happier man the following day after scoring twice against MK in an eventful clash won by Phantoms thanks to a strong final third period.
But the game didn’t get off to the best start for Phantoms as Liam Stewart’s close range finish put the Lightning ahead on the powerplay in the sixth minute. Their lead didn’t last long though, as Tom Norton ghosted in at the back post before lifting an effort into the roof of the net.
And Phantoms hit the front through Petr Stepanek with three minutes remaining in the first period. He took a pass from Callum Buglass and wristed a shot into the top shelf from the centre of the zone.
Sean Norris tied the game with 6:33 played in the middle period, only to see the Phantoms regain their lead less than a minute later as Speirs capitalised on a tap in after Padelek’s shot was saved.
And as the game ticked past the midway point, Phantoms scored the goal of the game.
Good play between Corey McEwen and Brad Bowering allowed Norton to pinch into the play, and when he was picked out in the middle of the zone, he put the puck to twine with a fantastic finish.
The next twist wasn’t long in arriving as Stewart picked up his second of the night for the visitors, again from close range, to put the visitors within one at 4-3.
But Billing restored the two-goal lead with an effort through the legs of visiting netminder Brandon Stones, to round off the scoring for the second period.
As the middle frame reached its end, Ross Green and Hallden Barnes-Garner took on Jasper Foster and Joe Gretton respectively in a fight. The MK pair both received additional two minute penalties for instigating the scuffle.
Stewart was on a hat-trick for the visitors and the opening minute of the third period almost provided him with his third of the night, but his effort pinged the pipes on the Phantoms goal.
And the Phantoms made him rue that missed chance, as Billing notched his second of the night with 6:16 played in the third, by taking the puck out in front and lifting it over Stones’ shoulder and into the top corner.
Jarvis Hunt rounded off the scoring. Bowering picked up another assist, as he centred the puck for the onrushing Hunt, to slot under Stones and into the back of the MK net.