Overtime defeat sees Bees slip up
BRACKNELL BEES’ run as league leaders is over following an overtime defeat to the Raiders in Romford.
Bees were looking well-placed at 2-0 up with goals from Shaun Thompson and Vanya Antonov, but were eventually pegged back and lost 4-3.
Doug Sheppard’s men returned to The Hive on Sunday to host struggling Milton Keynes Thunder and looked like they may be about to suffer their fourth straight defeat after falling two goals down.
But braces from Antonov, Zack Milton and Ryan Watt helped the hosts storm back to eventually triumph 7-3. However, the point dropped on Saturday sees Bees drop to second behind this weekend’s opponents Swindon Wildcats.
“We’ll take three points out of four but it’s still frustrating from Saturday not picking up the full points,” said head coach Sheppard.
“Hopefully we’ll get some guys back from injury soon. We have to wait and see after they’re assessed.
“It’s a shame we came out as flat as we did on Sunday and let (netminder) Danny Milton down, but we came back strong and showed good character and played the final 40 minutes well to recover.”
Thompson broke the deadlock in Romford in just the seventh minute with Antonov quickly making it 2-0.
Ashley Jackson reduced the arrears for the hosts, however a Ryan Sutton strike midway through the second period establishing a 3-1 lead for Bracknell.
But the final stanza saw the game flip back towards the hosts, forcing a period of overtime after levelling at 3-3 when Aaron Connolly scored in the final minute after Raiders pulled their netminder for an extra skater.
And the comeback was complete when a three-on-three was nicely converted by the hosts as Liam Chong found Jake Sylvester to pounce for the winning goal.
The hangover from that loss appeared to have carried over into Sunday with MK Thunder taking the lead in the ninth minute, countering to score through Sean Norris.
A scramble in front of the Bees net soon followed and the visitors opened up a shock 2-0 lead when Logan Price managed to poke the puck home.
Milton was replaced in goal by Dean Skinns at the end of the first period and Bees responded well after the restart with Watt quickly pulling a goal back.
Less than a minute later it was 2-2 when Zack Milton’s effort found its way in.
Bees soon hit the crossbar as their momentum continued and the comeback was complete on 33 minutes when Milton beat keeper Jordan Lawday again.
The goals kept coming with Bracknell wrapping up a 4-0 second period when Watt completed his brace to give MK a mountain to climb.
Antonov got himself on the score-sheet early into the third and while Trevor Leblanc replied, further goals from Antonov and David Millner clinched a 7-3 win.