Phantoms receive a Cup Final warning

Peterborough Phantoms have been made well aware of the size of the task facing them in the National League Cup Final later this month.

The city side will tackle current National League leaders Leeds Knights in the two-legged final at Planet Ice on Friday, March 17 and in Leeds seven days later.

And Phantoms will be hoping Sunday’s league clash is not a dress rehearsal for finals night as Leeds left the city rink with a 9-3 win under their belts.

It was a shocking climax to a bad weekend for Phantoms who had gone down to a 2-1 loss at Swindon Wildcats 24 hours earlier.

Slava Koulikov’s thirdplaced team can probably now forget about a top two finish and concentrate on preparing for the end of season play-offs.

Phantoms are at secondplaced MK Lightning on Saturday before hosting the Bristol Pitbulls on Sunday (5.30pm).

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Leeds 47 39 8 82 MK 48 38 10 78 Phantoms 48 35 13 70 Sheffield 48 29 19 63 Swindon 49 29 20 60 Raiders 47 26 21 50 Telford 48 19 29 37 Basingstoke 47 17 30 36 Bristol 48 18 30 32 Bees 48 10 38 25 Hull 49 13 36 24

Leeds tore into Phantoms from the off and established a 5-0 lead after one period. The tone was set for a rough affair as Tom Norton and a visiting skater took five minute penalties for fighting in the opening moments, but Leeds dominated the action that mattered.

Duncan Speirs and Will Weldon set up Glenn Billing for the opening Phantoms goal in the 30th minute, but it was 8-2 by the end of the second frame with Martins Susters scoring for the city side.

The third period was shared with Phantoms at least having the last word with an Ales Padelek strike.

Padelek had opened the scoring on his birthday in a much tighter contest at Swindon, but the hosts were level by the end of the first period and won the game with a 45th-minute goal.

NEW DEAL

Defenceman Bradley Bowering has signed a twoyear extension to his Phantoms contrac