The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
A successful season came to a sorry end
A successful season for Peterborough Phantoms finished in desperately disappointing fashion on Easter Sunday.
A third place finish in the National League standings was followed by a kind-looking draw in the play-off quarter-finals as Phantoms were pitted against the Raiders, a team they’d beaten in all six regular season meetings.
The city side made it seven in a row with a hardfought 4-3 success in Romford on Saturday and they looked to have booked a place in finals weekend in Coventry when leading the second leg 4-2 at Planet Ice the following night with just over seven minutes to go.
It was 4-3 – and an 8-6 lead on aggregate with just four minutes go – and then Phantoms’ world collapsed.
Raiders pulled to within one with two and a minutes remaining, promptly scored again to take the game into overtime when the visitors bagged the sudden death goal to book a surprise place in finals weekend.
Phantoms fans were stunned, while the visiting fans erupted with joy.
The warning signs for Phantoms had been there in the first half of the match
as Raiders led 1-0 and 2-1 before goals from Ralfs Circenis (2), Callum Buglass and Jarvis Hunt appeared to have put Slava Koulikov’s men in charge.
Lukas Sladkovsky scored twice in the first leg in Romford with Hunt and Ales Padalek also on target.
Padelek scored the winning goal two minutes from time.
Young netminder Tyler De La Bertouche played well again for Phantoms who were missing star netminder Jordan Marr through injury. Marr is one of the best netminders in the National
League.
Telford Tigers also reached this weekend’s finals by shocking second-placed MK Lightning over two legs.
League champions Leeds Knights predictably beat Basingstoke Bison, while Sheffield Steeldogs saw off Swindon Wildcats.
Phantoms will still reflect on a strong season which included a memorable National League Cup Final win over a Leeds side who will be hot favourites to win the play-offs.
Phantoms have now won five trophies in the nine-year reign of inspirational head coach Slava Koulikov.