5 Years on: Game Night Report – 2015 Play-Off Final v Manchester Phoenix

It’s great to see that so many hockey fans wanted to dip into the ‘beyond the blue line’ blog five years after the Phantoms triumphed in 2015.

In many ways semi-final was viewed as the best game of hockey that the Phantoms played that season; the Tigers were double winners and looking to emulate the Phantoms own treble winning achievements six years earlier.  What unfolded in that semi-final was a triumph of excellent coaching and execution from the players that saw the Phantoms make the Sunday final in what would be the final game in the career of British hockey legend, Tony Hand.

These were heady days in the English Premier League; we saw a Phantoms team with James and Robbie Ferrara (sporting the #27 Hutchinson jersey!), Will Weldon, Tom Norton, Scott Robson, and a young Martins Susters who have all been fundamental to Peterborough hockey since the play-off win, alongside ace netminder Janis Auzins, Darius Pliskauskas, Eddie Bebris, Milan Baranyk,Donatas Kumeliauskas, Luke Ferrara and Marc Levers.  Surely a roster built for success?

This is how the final panned out,as reported in ‘beyond the blue line’, April 5th 2015:

The Story of a Play-Off Winning Weekend, part two

EPL Play Off Final 5^th April 2015
Peterborough Phantoms 5 Manchester Phoenix 2

As we all now know, standing in front of the Peterborough Phantoms’ first trophy since 2009 was the Manchester Phoenix.

Before, during and after the Phoenix’ 7-4 victory against Milton Keynes there was plenty of discussion amongst the Phantoms’ faithful as to who they would rather face. Opinions were divided between those who wanted a match up against our local rivals, the Lightning, or if the Phantoms would fare better against Manchester in what would be the last appearance of the British ice hockey legend, Tony Hand.

The Phantoms had performed so well in their semi-final that the general feeling was that if they performed in a similar way in the final it wouldn’t matter who they played. My preference was Manchester. The Phantoms had an excellent record against the Phoenix in the regular season, winning five in the six game series, and in the Manchester-MK semi-final you couldn’t help but get the feeling that the Phantoms would be able to carve out opportunities, and that they would have the advantage if we it came down to a battle of the net-minders.

I also had a feeling that MK would’ve given the Phantoms a more difficult game. With ex-Phantoms Hook and Cownie forming part of a devastating line alongside Kostourek there would be plenty to fear, though the player that really stood out in the second semi-final was Robin Kovar for the Phoenix.   Additionally, the Phoenix have Frankie Bakrlik, a player I have always wanted to see in a Phantoms jersey, and someone who brings a physical presence that is extremely difficult to play against.

And then there was the Tony Hand factor. The headline writers had probably readied their words in anticipated of a perfect end to a 34 year playing career where Hand, the first British player drafted in the NHL and former GB head-coach could lift silverware in his final game. The reception and recognition that Hand received in Coventry at the weekend and throughout British hockey as this season has concluded has shown the respect with which the British ‘Mr-Hockey’ has been held.

To add further uncertainty into the mix Saturday evening saw an announcement regarding the ownership of the Phoenix and their relationship with the owners of their ice rink in Altrincham. Would this be a distraction to the Phoenix or galvanise them further?

What unfolded in the first thirteen or so minutes was just beyond the Phantoms’ wildest dreams. Lining up in their familiar red jerseys despite being the top seed in the final and designated as the home side, the Phantoms soaked up early pressure from the Phoenix before scoring three goals in a little over thirteen minutes to build a platform that would prove to be decisive.

Milan Baranyk tormented the Phoenix throughout the game, and on 2 13 opened the scoring as his shot from behind Fone’s goal deflected off the netminder and into the goal.

Two minutes later Scott Robson swept in a powerplay goal, unmarked on the edge of Fone’s crease following an elbow from Ben Wood on Milan Baranyk had given the Phantoms a numerical advantage.

The Phantoms pushed hard in this phase of the game, which was so reminiscent of the quarter final away leg in Swindon when the Phantoms had stormed to a 4-0 lead and taken control of that tie. The Peterborough side were playing with real pace, with Baranyk, Kumeliauskas and Pliskauskas all speeding into the Manchester zone. Kumeliauskas shot wide and Fone needed to be at his best to save from Cam McGiffin and notably Darius Pliskauskas, who stole the puck on the blue line, only to see his shot saved.

After 3 17 Baranyk scored his second, and the Phantoms third of the game following great work from Edgars Bebris in the neutral zone. At 3-0 the Phantoms fans could scarcely believe the start that their side had made, and yet knew that the game was far from over. Recalling the three unanswered goals scored by Swindon in the quarter final it was clear that the game was not over yet..

Rather than sitting on the lead the Phantoms went for the kill in a spell of hockey that was quite simply breath taking. Koulikov fired slightly wide and as Joe Graham sat on a hooking call Marc Levers hit the post, tipping a Tom Norton blue line drive.

On 16 33 the Phantoms incurred their first penalty of the game as Levers himself received a high stick call of his own and as the penalty expired, on 18 15 in the first period, James Archer swept the puck into the net as the Phantoms couldn’t clear their own zone.

At the first buzzer, a scoreline of 3-1 by no means flattered the Phantoms. Despite shots on goal being even at 14, the Phantoms had dominated, and in truth could’ve been five or six up had Fone not made crucial stops when he did.

With such a lead there is a conundrum – should a team defend what they have or go for more goals? The Phoenix came out hard in the second period and dominated possession. Archer skated through the Phantoms defensive zone and round the net but there would no Phoenix player on the end of his pass, and Will Weldon and Luke Ferrara sat for holding and Donatas Kumeliauskas for high sticks, as the Phantoms tried to quell the Manchester pressure.

As had been the case in the Phantoms’ semi-final, their penalty kill did an exceptional job in the second period.

Just as the Phantoms thought they’d seen off the worst of the Manchester challenge they got caught on a poor line change. With only two minutes left of the second period, and with the score still at 3-1 Frantisek Bakrlik stood in acres of space on the Phantoms’ blue line, controlled a pass from Joe Graham, skated into the offensive zone and cannoned a shot past Auzins to reduce the deficit and increase the tension in the Peterborough camp.

The third period saw the Phoenix up the physical intensity of their game, with Bakrlik involved in an incident with Robson that saw the Phoenix man subject of resounding boos in the arena. Burlin, Watkins and Bakrlik all took two minute penalties which handed the momentum back to the Phantoms, and an incident near the Phoenix bench saw Luke Ferrara prostrate on the ice.

On 52 33 the game crucially tipped in the Phantoms favour once more. Watkins and Bakrilk’s high stick and holding penalties came within 23 seconds of each other, giving the Phantoms a 5-on-3 opportunity, and before the first penalty had expired Marc Levers jammed the puck under Fone for a 4-2 lead.

In the closing moments it would be down to captain James Ferrara to conclude the scoring , bundling the puck into the net to complete a memorable victory 5-2 victory, to scenes of jubilation both on the ice and on the stands.

MoM: Auzins (Phantoms) and Hand (Phoenix)

The Peterborough Phantoms mantra all season has been about the importance of the team over individual performers, and this weekend encapsulated that perfectly. The coaching staff, bolstered by Koulikov Snr has got the best out of a team where hard work, dedication to the cause and no small amount of skill has reaped fine rewards.

For a Phantoms team that failed to make the play-offs at all last year to finish fourth in the table and to be crowned champions at the end of the league’s showpiece weekend is an outstanding achievement, and shows how far the club have travelled in a small amount of time.

I’m a firm believer in there being a time for a team to grab their chance, and would always fear that if that chance is not taken, it may not come round again too soon. The Phantoms took their opportunity and everyone person involved in the club deserves credit for their contribution that has seen the Phantoms gate-crash the usual suspects and deservedly lift a cup for the first time in six years.

Well done to the Peterborough Phantoms, and thank you to Rob and Sue Housden who step down after fourteen years at the helm. What a way to sign off!

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram @its_phil_smithfollow for regular Phantoms updates.

5^th April 2015

5 Years on: Game Night Report – 2015 Play-Off Semi-Final v Telford Tigers

Where did that time go?  ‘beyond the blue line’ started with some football and a whole load of ice hockey, and ran for 225 posts in the five years from July 2013 to October 2018 – covering a number of highs and lows of the hockey scene well before the Phantoms media game was where is is now, and largely in a climate where there was much less in terms of coverage of the Phantoms and hockey at this level.

If you are relatively new to the Phantoms you won’t have seen this stuff before and might have some interest in the match night reports, interviews and Q&As and other articles that were produced over the life of the blog.  Use the tags and dip into what was a regular part of Phantoms hockey media up until last season, where balancing writing and match night commentary duties felt like it had become too time consuming.

In October 2018 I published what had been the last post in what ended up being a successful season, with the Phantoms bagging a couple of trophies despite falling at the last hurdle to the Hull Pirates in the play-off final in Coventry.

In our current lockdown there has been a whole load of nostalgia on the internet, and as we might well have been in Coventry this weekend for the annual play-off jamboree, there seemed no better time to post my reports from the semi final against Telford and the final against the Manchester Phoenix.

Maybe if you hang around here long enough there’ll be some new stuff too…

The Story of a Play-Off Winning Weekend, part one

EPL Play-Off Semi Final 4^th April 2015
Telford Tigers 2 Peterborough Phantoms 4

Semi-Final victory celebrations

What a fantastic weekend for the Peterborough Phantoms, EPL Play-Off Champions 2014-15.

Regular readers of ‘beyond the blue line’ will know that there is usually a match report after each game I attend, so rather than simply posting about the final, I thought it would be quite appropriate to revisit both games in a historic weekend that sees the Phantoms lift their first trophy since 2008-2009.

Having finished fourth in the English Premier League and defeated the Swindon Wildcats in the quarter finals, the Phantoms matched up against the league and cup winning Telford Tigers, with probably everyone outside of the Phantoms’ camp anticipating that this 1^st vs 4^th encounter would go the way of the Shropshire side.

In truth, the Phantoms have fared relatively well against the Tigers over the course of the season, managing to defeat them both home and away in a season where the champions only suffered six regulation time defeats. As a result, there was a degree of optimism amongst the Phantoms, and a belief that a game plan, well executed, could see them through to the final.

By 1:00pm, with the warm-up over, the Phantoms lined up in their familiar red away uniform, with the Tigers in white. Marc Levers and Peter Szabo took the opening face-off from referee Pickett, with the supporters of the Tigers and the Phantoms making noise in anticipation of the action to come.

Whilst semi-finals can often be cagey affairs, this one started frenetically, with the Phantoms making a positive start as both James Ferrara and Donatas Kumeliauskas did well in the opening seconds.

The Phantoms got the start they could only have dreamt about at the end of a spell of concerted pressure as player/coach Slava Koulikov swept the puck into an empty cage on 1 56, as ex-Phantom Murdy saved to his right before the rebound was fed to Koulikov who made no mistake.

Telford tried to impose themselves on the game and put increasing pressure on the Phantoms’ rear guard. Veteran Jonathan Weaver laid big hits on both Koulikov and Pliskauskas and though the Phantoms were holding their own at his point, and may have even extended their lead through Kumeliauskas, the Phantoms suffered a harsh charging call by the officials on Edgars Bebris after 10 25.

The resulting powerplay saw Telford knot things up at 1-1 on 11 14 through a Max Birbraer rocket from the blue line that sped past a screened Auzins.

Telford dominated the exchanges in the middle part of this first period. James Ferrara and Rick Plant came to blows after the Phantoms’ captain was adjudged to have held Plant’s stick, and both sides had chances as the Tigers tried to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Ondrej coming close with a backhander immediately after Bebris was foiled one-on-one with Murdy.

As we entered the last minute of the period Kumeliauskas, relishing the big ice, skated from back to front, only to be levelled by Weaver who took a 2+10 penalty for a check from behind.

Stat fans would be aware that the Phantoms had scored more PP goals than any other team in the league this year, and would add another to their total as Luke Ferrara fired home from the high slot to make the score 2-1 to the Phantoms with just two seconds of the period left.

The Phantoms would’ve wanted to keep the game close and not give the Tigers any opportunity to gain momentum, yet within 42 seconds of the start of the second period Edgars Bebris was thrown out of the game following a high stick call that must’ve drawn blood.

The Phantoms have also had the EPL’s best penalty kill this year (83.4%) and would need to be at their best whilst Bebris’ five minute call wound down. Fortunately for the Phantoms, for two of those minutes the Tigers were also reduced to four men as Peter Szabo, the EPL’s Player of the Year, sat for high sticks.

With the penalty kill working well the Phantoms grew in confidence, rallied by their noisy supporters who recognised the worth of such stout defensive work. Murdy stopped efforts from Tom Norton and Darius Pliskauskas and as tempers started to boil over Kumeliauskas and Ondrej took penalties at 6 19 of the second period for roughing and high-sticks respectively, with the Phantoms’ man sitting for 2+2, giving the Tigers another powerplay opportunity and the Phantoms’ penalty kill more work to do.

On 30 42, just half way through this pulsating game, Pliskauskas extended the Phantoms’ lead on a delayed penalty after Weaver had penalised for slashing, jamming home in front of the Phantoms supporters, at the end of a terrific solo drive towards Murdy’s goal.

Shots on goal had been pretty even in the first period, but in the second the Tigers had 16 sots on Auzins, whilst the Phantoms had 6 on Murdy, and yet the period finished 3-1, with Pliskauskas’ tally the only goal of the period.

Within two minutes of the start of the third and final frame the Tigers had reduced their deficit to one, as Rick Plant rifled a shot from the edge of the right hand face-off circle past Auzins. The Telford supporters sensed a comeback was on and raised the noise levels considerably, but Auzins and the Phantoms’ defence stood firm, with Scott Robson in particular playing with a maturity beyond his experience and age.

With just less than three minutes remaining Pliskauskas scored his second, and the Phantoms’ fourth goal of the afternoon to effectively settle the game. And what a goal it was! Pliskauskas picked the puck up on the edge of the offensive zone, span, and sat Murdy down before finishing with style.

Without doubt, Pliskauskas is a big game player, and on this stage he looked to be the top forward that we know he is.

There was still time for a crowd scene around Janis Auzins, but there were to be no more goals. The Phantoms had deservedly won their semi-final 4-2.

MoM: Auzins (Phantoms) and Zajac (Tigers)

This game saw the Phantoms’ imports stand tall.  Baranyk and Kumeliauskas threatened time after time, Pliskauskas scored two beauties, and of course, there’s Janis Auzins, who Phantoms’ fans see perform so well week in, week out.

Auzins took the MoM beers yet again, though calling a Man of the Match from this performance doesn’t do justice to the herculean efforts from the whole team. Though outshot by 29 to 38, the Phantoms took their chances and showed once again that when they need it to be, the defensive side of their game can be as good as any in the league.

Credit to the Koulikovs for the organisation and the game plan, and credit to the whole team for executing it so well.

Scenes at the end of the game showed the delight in the Phantoms’ camp and in the stands. The question would be whether the Phantoms would prove to have enough in the tank for the final after such a performance.

The Manchester Phoenix would be the Phantoms’ opponents, prevailing 7-4 against our old rivals the MK Lightning in a thrilling encounter. The scoreline probably flattered the Phoenix somewhat as they notched two late empty net goals as the Lightning pushed for a life line, but in Robin Kovar they had the standout performer of the game, and along with Frantisek Bakrlik there would be a real threat to the Phantoms.

And of course, the Phantoms would also be facing Tony Hand, MBE, playing his last competitive fixture after an illustrious 34 year playing career.

It would be down to the Phantoms to rewrite the headlines that the journalist may have written in readiness for Hand’s last hurrah.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram @its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

5th April 2015

Season 2018-19: Hull Pirates (6/10/2018)

Autumn Cup – Peterborough Phantoms 2 Hull Pirates 1 (PSO)

MoM Jordan Marr, and penalty scorer Corey McEwen

It’s been quite a while, what with one thing or another, but last night’s defeat of the Pirates in Peterborough deserved comment on these hallowed pages.

A return then for ‘beyond the blue line’ as a strong home performance saw the Phantoms take down Jason Hewitt’s Hull Pirates and guarantee themselves a semi-final berth in the Autumn Cup, with another match-up against the Pirates or the Sheffield Steeldogs in the final, should the Phantoms prevail in a semi-final against the Swindon Wildcats.

Whilst the opening period was nip and tuck with relatively few clear cut chances, the stars of the show were the two netminders – Jordan Marr in the home goal, and that rare beast in the NIHL, Czech import Tomas Fucik guarding the pipes for the Pirates.

Shots on goal in the opening twenty minutes had the Phantoms marginally ahead yet neither side looked likely to score in what felt like the proverbial chess battle as two hugely experienced coaches searched for the key to each other’s defences.

When the opener came (on 22 10), it was the result of the Pirates breaking quickly and Jordan Fisher picking the puck up in the high slot, taking a touch and whipping it low, through traffic, into Marr’s net.  The Phantoms had started the second period brightly, but found themselves trailing.

The Pirate’s goal galvanised a Phantoms team that were under pressure from the visitors; the game was becoming more physical with decisions for either side not being called, and when Chamberlain took a penalty for a late hit the Phantoms capitalised, with Norton finishing on the doorstep after a sublime pass from Weldon found the D man on the edge of the crease, with a simple a tap in.

Great relief for the Phantoms on the half hour mark, though the story could’ve been so very different as Archer failed to convert a short-handed opportunity immediately prior to Norton’s goal.

The Phantoms dominated the shots on goal throughout the second period and controlled large passages of a third period punctuated by penalty calls on the Pirates, which saw the visitors increasingly frustrated.  Despite having numerical superiority for large portions of the final stanza the Phantoms were up against a resolute and hugely experienced Hull outfit, who saw off each powerplay relatively comfortably.

With no further scoring in regulation, and a blank in overtime, it all came down to penalty shots.  McEwen scored for the Phantoms and Marr kept out Archer, Chamberlain and Davies to seal the win.

The Phantoms’ defence looked resolute throughout, with Bowering having another strong outing, and the home side’s passing was crisp and efficient, especially through the latter phases of the second and in the third period.  The home side created plenty of chances, but at time overplayed in the offensive zone, possibly looking for that killer pass to get Fucik moving in a way that they had perhaps struggled to do to in previous games this season.

Jordan Marr was the Phantoms’ MoM and Tomas Fucik deservedly took the MoM beers for a strong Hull team.  It’ll be interesting to see them again this year – they have bags of experience and quality  in players like Hewitt, Archer, Phillips and Heywood and will be a serious challenge in the North and in the Cups this year.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Signing off the 2017-18 Season: Telford Tigers (7th April 2018)

Britton Conference Semi-Final 1
Telford Tigers 4 Peterborough Phantoms 1

It’s the morning after the weekend before, and as in 2016 the Phantoms bowed out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage.

By now readers will have seen the result; a Rick Plant goal gave the Tigers a first period lead which was built upon through two powerplay goals from Scott Mckenzie and Macaulay Haywood on 26 12 and 30 56, virtually finishing the tie as a contest.

James White met an Ales Padelek pass from the base of the right hand circle and finished smartly to give Phantoms’ fans slight hope just after the half our (32 43), but no further inroads into the Shropshire side’s lead could be found.  King was pulled late on, and Tigers’ netminder Bell was called upon to make one or two smart saves, but it would be Mckenzie, with his second of the game who would conclude a comfortable 4-1 victory for Tom Watkins’ side.

After two big weekends where hard fought performances were in evidence against both Swindon and Basingstoke this semi-final saw the Phantoms performance a mere shadow of what had been seen in both of the two recent weekends.

Despite a positive start to the game the Phantoms found themselves on the defensive rear guard for much of the first two periods, in which time they generated very little offensive momentum with just 4 shots on goal in the first period and 5 for 1 in the second, and though there was greater forward pressure in the third period the Tigers dealt with the Phantoms comfortably, having no need to press the game themselves.

James White, Nathan Pollard, Nathan Salem and Euan King all gave a good account of themselves in what was a lack lustre showing on the biggest stage of the season.  I had suspected that the Telford game would be a challenge; the Phantoms hadn’t played them this year, and players like Silverthorn, Weaver and Miller still have plenty to trouble most sides.

Early in the game I thought that the Phantoms would have the beating of the Tigers, but it wasn’t to be – once they were behind they simply couldn’t find a way to get the puck in the Telford zone and put Bell under pressure.  The puck was turned over too frequently leaving the defensive zone and King exposed, passing was poor, and once the Tigers were ahead they looked a step ahead of the Phantoms.

With expectations high at the start of the season the Phantoms fell short.  Whilst the Coventry performance was poor, it was the fine margins of goal difference that saw Basingstoke take the league title, and in the Autumn Cup it was a penalty shoot-out that separated the Phantoms from the eventual winners, the Swindon Wildcats.  I suspect we’ll not know the full story that surrounds the now infamous National Cup tie against Hull that was never played, and whilst I’m frustrated that results in our group meant that we still needed to play that fixture, the fact that it wasn’t played leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Whilst everything has not been perfect, for a large part of the season the Phantoms led the league table (they were top on 21^st January and were neck and neck with Basingstoke for the remainder of the season), split the league games with the Bison, and had the better of the series against the Wildcats, who were arguably the best side in the Britton Conference at the end of the year.  Had Aaron Connolly not scored a second goal for the Bison just 1 55 before the end of the game against the Phantoms in Peterborough on 4^th March the Phantoms would’ve almost certainly won the league, and with greater momentum, who knows?

I’ve said this before, but the home defeat to the MK Thunder on penalties and the 6-3 defeat to the London Raiders were the games I’d point to that almost certainly consigned the Phantoms to second place, and whilst those sentiments were expressed way back in November, who’d have thought that it was going to be so close between the teams at the top for the rest of the year?

The truth is the Phantoms were competitive in the league and missed silverware by the narrowest of deciders against the Bison, and the absence of Griffiths and Pliskauskas in the final run in cannot be underestimated.  In only his second year Owen Griffiths has become a key member of the forward contingent and with him being side-lined, Weldon and Billing have really stood up to the plate in  taking so many face-offs and needing to be on the ice for such long periods (and doing a great job too, I might add).  In the 4-2 play-off defeat in Swindon the Phantoms were dominated in the earlier stages, but were the better side late in the second and in the third periods, and though some observers have decried the home leg after the Wildcats ensured that they’d won both ties, the Phantoms initially led, were tied at the end of the second, and simply couldn’t live with Aaron Nell at the start of the third.

Critics have pointed to the Phantoms’ style, that the hockey has been sterile, and to some degree I have sympathy with this view, and though in a number of games at the start of the season particularly it felt that like they barely needed to get out of second gear to get the win, I wonder if we really expected something more.  Whilst the Phantoms might’ve been able to run a cricket score up in some games, there’s little entertainment in putting 10, 11 and 12 goals past a side that is struggling – and it happened in the EPL when the Phantoms scored a bagful against teams like Sheffield, Hull and Manchester.

In games where the Phantoms were sufficiently ahead they blooded youngsters when they could, giving valuable experience and a breather to the other players.  Not clinical enough?  Maybe.  Giving youth a chance?  Certainly.  Let’s not forget that it’ll be the young, home grown players that will be the future of the club – players like Bowering, Escott, Romeo, Hunt and Peacock will all be called upon in the future and may well be the core of the Phantoms in a year or two.

At the start of the season I was delighted to see the Phantoms get Leigh Jamieson and Nathan Salem (21 goals and 52 points in 31 games at 1.67 PPG and 12 PIMS compared to 26 goals and 56 points in 55 games for Hull last year at 0.98 PPG, and 101 PIMS) and they have contributed well, as have other veterans.  Will Weldon has done superbly, especially late in the season, and Euan King has been excellent between the pipes.

The defensive corps is a mix of experience and youth.  Rob Ferrara has been as reliable as ever, and whilst not the finished article yet, Ed Knaggs, though not the finished article has shown what an excellent player he is going to be in the future.  The young players need coaching, and in my view that is what they are going to get from Koulikov in the coming years.  Nathan Long came into prominence in January and has done well, whether that being at the back or as when required as a forward.

Of course, needs must.  Some other teams look like they have greater depth across their bench and experience is important.  The Phantoms have numbers, but rely greatly on youth, which almost certainly is going to be down to the budget.  Crowds look down (the Saturday night home game decision will have contributed significantly), budgets are squeezed and cloth has to be cut accordingly.  I can only imagine we’ll see more of the same next year, where I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Phantoms field an all British line-up.

At this time of year we end up voting for our Player if the Year, and I’ll pre-empt the official awards with my ‘beyond the blue line’ awards for 2017-18

Forward of the Year
Nathan Salem

Defencemen of the Year
Robert Ferrara

Nominations for Young Player:
Nathan Long
Glenn Billing
Ed Knaggs
Owen Griffiths

Winner:  Glenn Billing

Nominations for Player of the Year:
James Ferrara
Nathan Salem
Euan King
Will Weldon

Winner:  James Ferrara

Finally, it remains for me to say thanks for reading ‘beyond the blue line’ this season.  It continues to be a labour of love, and has become more of a challenge since I have been doing the live-stream commentating (there was a time that I could be found in the stands with a notebook and pen, but those days are long gone) and working on the Phantoms’ podcast.  Hopefully there’s been something for all of you that have taken the time to have a read.

A final thanks to the staff and players at the club for their support, whether that be through ‘beyond the blue line’ Q&A pieces or interviews I have done with the Phantoms’ Media Team.  Time and again the players have fielded questions in a professional and honest fashion, and no more so than when there’s been a disappointing result.  It’s been very much appreciated – you’ve certainly made the job easier than it might’ve been!

I’ll see you at the rink.

 

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

 

Season 2017-18: Swindon Wildcats (24th March 2018)

NIHL S1 Play-Offs Quarter Final 1^st Leg
Swindon Wildcats 4 Peterborough Phantoms 2

Though many observers thought this quarter final tie between the league’s second placed team and the Autumn Cup winners was too tight to call, through thirty minutes of the game the Wildcats looked like they might just run away with things as they established a 2-1 first period lead, and scored twice early in the second to increase their advantage.

The Phantoms were to start the game without top point scorer Pliskauskas (and would lose Owen Griffiths with a shoulder injury following a challenge from former Phantom Eddie Bebris early in the first), and came under pressure from the opening puck drop as Swindon came out with all guns blazing and a physical approach that the Phantoms struggled to deal with.

Swindon deservedly took the lead with something like seven minutes on the clock as Kelsall finished a 2-on-1 from Bebris and though the Phantoms had been under the hammer, Ales Padelek finished an almost identical move to the one that had seen the Wildcats take the lead with 8 24 gone to level the scores.

Chances were had to come by for the visiting Phantoms, who struggled to cope with the intensity and speed of the Swindon attack, and it came as no surprise to see Bebris restore the Wildcat’s lead on 12 31.

The Phantoms might have been somewhat fortunate to be just a goal down after twenty minutes, but the tie started to slip away after four minutes of the second, as Birbraer scored after 24 04, and just under four minutes later Bullas made it 4-1 as the quick breaking ‘Cats outnumbered the Phantoms D.

The Phantom tried to rally and a scrum in front of a previously unoccupied Renny Marr in the Swindon goal saw Bullas and Whitfield called for the Wildcats and Scott Robson penalised for the Phantoms.  The visitors got a lift from their renewed efforts and resilience in adversity. In the final seven or eight minutes of the middle period the Phantoms were the better side,  showing more fight and growing in confidence despite not finding a way to goal.

That changed within three minutes of the start of the final period as Salem bundled the puck home to reduce the arrears to 4-2, and the Phantoms pushed their hosts hard for the remaining seventeen minutes of the period.  Though the Wildcats held a two goal lead, in boxing terms the last period was the Phantoms on points.

All eyes then on Bretton tomorrow as the Phantoms have a tough, but not insurmountable task on their hands.  If they can match the Wildcats in the way they did in the final 25 minutes of the game there’s a real chance they’ll get the job done and qualify for Coventry. Anything less, and in the first half of this game the Phantoms were pushed back and found the Wildcats’ physical approach too much to handle, then the Phantoms’ season will be over.

Nathan Salem deserved the Man of the Match beers, though Leigh Jamieson, Scott Robson and Euan King all deserve a mention for solid performances.  For the Wildcats Max Birbraer was MoM.

A refereeing decision in the third went the way of the Phantoms when Nell thought he’d scored for the ‘Cats.  The officials stopped the ensuing play to consult the goal judge who confirmed the puck hadn’t crossed the line at a time when the Phantoms were finding their stride and when a further goal for Swindon might’ve finished the tie as a context.  I didn’t think the puck was in the net, but it was a close call for the Phantoms at that point of the game, and not a clear cut decision from our vantage point.

I suspect the Wildcats will rue the chances they missed before the Phantoms found their stride and can imagine that if the Phantom come out all guns blazing they’ll force Swindon back on their heels.

At 4-1 it was feeling like a bridge too far for the Phantoms as the big Swindon crowd urged their team onwards, and whilst a one goal deficit going into the second leg would’ve felt more doable, the fact that the Phantoms had the better if the last 25 minutes and scored the only goal of the final period will have given Coach Koulikov enough encouragement for the lads to believe a turnaround is possible.

On to Sunday evening, and all to play for …

footnote

It’s rare for me to change or edit after I’ve published one of these posts, but there is something I’m going to add for readers that weren’t at the game in Swindon.  Now I’ve seen the Phantoms in Swindon on many occasions – it is absolutely one of my favourite away venues and if we’re there we can usually be found at rink side within a few feet of the away bench.  It is always fascinating watching Slava and JB give their instructions,  Rochelle administer the running repairs, and the lads taking their turns to take the gate on and off the ice.  What was a real eye opener throughout this game was the leadership shown by Leigh Jamieson, who continually gave instructions to the lads, whether that be emphasising the game plan, or more often than not urging the young lads to play their game, not to panic, and to focus on the task in hand.  Jaimo was absolutely deserving of the A on his jersey, and led from the front throughout.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

Season 2017-18: London Raiders (Saturday 3rd March 2018)

Peterborough Phantoms 4 London Raiders 3 (OT)

Leigh Jamieson bags the OT winner to keep the title chase alive (Photo A Storer)

It’s funny how these things pan out; a combination of factors, including work, timing of the games, and other things that won’t be important enough to worry about today mean that there hasn’t been a ‘beyond the blue line’ report since the Phantoms dropped the first game of 2018 (3-4) to our opponents tonight, the Basingstoke Bison.

I suspect we all know what’s at stake.  The Phantoms need a win to stand be able to take the NIHL S1 league title, and they need to win by two to take the series.   The Bison are in the box seat, though league games between the two former EPL big hitters have been close – two 4-3 defeats and a 2-1 victory for the Phantoms indicate that tonight’s game will be too close to call.

Whilst we might’ve thought that the league would come down to this fixture, (and we shouldn’t forget that the Phantoms would still need to beat Stratham next weekend), it very nearly didn’t, as the London Raiders failed to read the script and very nearly grabbed the win that would’ve made the game against the Bison a dead rubber.

The Raiders defended stoutly and the first period was pretty even (9 shots on the Raiders, 8 on the Phantoms), with Lascenko giving the visitors an early lead that was tied following fantastic work from Billing, who intercepted a clearance from netminder Gray and fired into an empty cage.

The Phantoms dominated play in the second and third periods, outshooting their visitors 34-7, but were caught on the break with an odd man rush for Huska to score the only goal in the middle frame, and though Norton levelled with a powerplay goal within a minute of the start of the final period, Huska hit back within sixty seconds, leaving the Phantoms 3-2 down and struggling to find a way through.

In the end, a way through was found through Darius Pliskauskas, who, like Norton, scored with eight minutes remaining from distance on a powerplay to tie the game at 3-3, and just as we all though the game was going to go to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out, Leigh Jamieson fired the winner to rapturous applause with just 23 seconds remaining.

For the Raiders Michael Gray was a deserved Man of the Match, with Sylvester and Huska also standing out, and for the Phantoms Nathan Salem took the beers, but I’d have given them to Jamieson for bagging the winner, on a night when the relief and release of tension as he puck hit the net deep in OT was palpable.

All I’d say to the players and fans is focus on how you felt when Jamieson scored against the Raiders, or when Jimmy Ferrara scored a late, late leveller against the Bees in mid-February to save the game, and appreciate the resolve and determination that this team has.  Champions can find a way to win, and the Phantoms have shown in recent weeks that even when they are not at their best, they can did out results.  Basingstoke are an excellent side and the players and fans have to believe that the Phantoms can win this game.

I know that I do.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2017-18: Basingstoke Bison (Monday 1st January 2018)

Peterborough Phantoms 3 Basingstoke Bison 4

Welcome to 2018 and a Happy New Year to all of the ‘beyond the blue line’ regulars, and to those of you that are more occasional readers too.

Whilst the Phantoms will be disappointed and somewhat frustrated to drop this home game against their closest rivals at the top of the NIHL South, there some satisfaction with the number of points collected over a busy festive period which still means there is plenty to play for across all competitions.

The Phantoms had stolen the points in Basingstoke on Saturday to take top spot in the league and a big crowd was expectant as the two teams faced off, with the home side lining up as expected, and the Bison without the influential Grant Rounding.  Man of the moment, Euan King back stopped the Phantoms whilst the Basingstoke netminder was Dean Skinns, a goalie who has seen his team concede just 1.7 goals per game in the league this year.

The first period was engaging stuff, but in truth the Phantoms were second best, with the Bison deserving their 2-1 lead by the first intermission.  Hallam Wilson opened the scoring on 8 18, scrambling the puck home to some consternation from the Phantoms; whether the complaint was that the puck had been kicked in (I’m fairly certain it hadn’t) or whether there was netminder interference (possible, but certainly not conclusive) it wasn’t clear.  Either way, the goal stood and the Phantoms’ supporters saw their new year bubbles well and truly popped.

Over the balance of the game I felt that the Phantoms had played well, though the first period saw them on the back foot more often than not.  The puck was turned over in the Phantoms’ zone too frequently which invited pressure from the visitors and though Scott Robson tied things up when he redirected a Tom Norton pass from the point midway through the period, Kurt Reynolds gave Basingstoke a deserved lead with a shot through traffic from the blue line that found space over Euan King’s right shoulder.

If the Bison took the first period on points, the Phantoms deserved more from the second and effectively did to Doug Sheppard’s men what the Bison had done to the Phantoms in the opening frame.  The Phantoms pushed for their equaliser and played enterprising hockey.  The Basingstoke D was kept deep in their own zone, and though Skinns was equal to what was thrown at him at this point it seemed only a matter of time until a Phantoms leveller.

Unfortunately, when the next goal came it was as a result of a blocked Greg Pick drive from the blue line which was chased down by Dan Davies, who finished beautifully into the top of King’s net.

The Phantoms responded well to conceding and continued to exert pressure and were rewarded when battling play from Ales Padelek saw him steal the puck and fore on the turn past Skinns to reduce the arrears and give us a 3-2 scoreline.

As the Phantoms continued to pressure the Bison zone we saw a virtual carbon copy of Davies’ goal, as a shot from Norton was blocked, and Antonov raced through to extend the Bison’s lead once more.

The Phantoms dominated possession in the final period without forcing Skinns into too many spectacular saves, and though Pliskauskas reduced the deficit with a smart one timer after impressive work on the boards with 15 minutes to go, the Phantoms found that they had left themselves too much to do, even after pulling King with two minutes to go.

In a game with relatively penalties, few shots on goal and chances at a premium, the Bison took the game to the Phantoms in the first period and capitalised by two mistakes in the second period to secure the victory.  In turn, the Phantoms were on the front foot in the middle and third periods, and were caught by sucker punches that they were unable to recover from.  Ultimately there are fine margins between taking the game to the opponent and chasing it, and it was the case that when the Phantoms’ shots were blocked the other five skaters were in such advanced positions that it left them vulnerable to the break away.

Credit to Basingstoke – I though their first period performance showed exactly when they are at the top of the league and Davies and Antonov took their chances well in the second.

I suspect the game was far closer than the one in Basingstoke on Saturday, but I would’ve been happy to have split the points over the two games with the Bison as a minimum, and that’s what the Phantoms achieved.  Owen Griffiths was Man of the Match for the Phantoms, with Dan Scott picking up the beers for the Bison.

The Phantoms are in a healthy position in the league, the door has opened up for potential qualification in the National Cup, and a semi-final berth against Swindon in the Autumn Cup is already secured.  The Bison are out of the National Cup, but what’s the betting on a match up with eth Phantoms in the Autumn Cup?

On Thursday the Phantoms are on home ice against the Sheffield Steeldogs in a ‘must-win’ National Cup game.  See you there.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

 

Season 2017-18: Swindon Wildcats (Friday 29th December 2017)

Swindon Wildcats 5 Peterborough Phantoms 4 (OT)

In this, the final league meeting between the two sides this season, it’s tempting to suggest that the Phantoms will be disappointed not to take the two points after taking a two goal lead with something like ten minutes of the game remaining.

The reality might be something different, as the Phantoms reflect on 7 out of 8 league points taken against the Wildcats at the end of an evening that saw a game ebb and flow, with the Phantoms seeing a first period two goal lead through Salem and Griffiths wiped out in a second frame that saw the home side tie things up through a brace from Aaron Nell.

The Phantoms lined up as expected, with Euan King in goal following the birth of his third child (congratulations to the King family!) and the Wildcats, bolstered by Eddie Bebris, also appearing to be at full strength in this battle of 2nd versus 3rd.

Chances were at a premium in the first period and the Phantoms were certainly good for their lead, making the most of their chances against a Swindon side that struggled to build any momentum.  Salem fired into the net on a Phantoms powerplay and Griffiths tallied just as another had expired (though it was difficult to know for sure whether the Phantoms were still on the powerplay due to the faulty game clock), giving every suggestion that the lack of discipline that cost the Wildcats dear in the game in Peterborough on Boxing Day would repeat itself.

The Phantoms went into the first break in control, but faced a different Swindon side in the second frame, as the Wildcats pinned their visitors in their defensive zone for extended shifts.  King was called upon and made three smart saves before his goal was breached, and as the ‘Cats grew in confidence the Phantoms struggled to clear the puck, conceded a second, and in truth were fortunate to go into the second intermission level.

If the first period had seen the Phantoms deserve their two goal advantage, the second period belonged to the Wildcats.  Chances did fall to the Phantoms, most notably to Ales Padelek, who was denied a short-handed goal by Marr at his near post, but on the balance of play the Phantoms could not have a great deal to argue about if they’d started the third period at least a goal down.

Though the Wildcats had chances, the Phantoms found their stride at the start of the final period and took the lead five minutes in via a Padelek shot from the blue line, and despite the fact that the balance of play was pretty even, Tom Norton scored a beauty to restore the Phantoms two goal margin with ten minutes to go.

The lead never felt secure as Swindon pushed hard to get back into the game.  Bebris scored a scruffy goal against his old team to halve the arrears and with little over two and a half minutes to go Nell scored Swindon’s fourth with his hat-trick goal, which sent the game into overtime.

With little under half of the extra period played Stephen Whitfield picked the puck up in the slot, showed great strength in holding off his man, and scored the game winning goal to the rapturous applause of the home crowd.

For the Phantoms Euan King was deservedly awarded the MoM beers, with notable performances from Owen Griffiths, Scott Robson, and Nathan Salem.

Whitfield took the beers for the ‘Cats, not least for a goal worthy of winning any game, but no one would’ve been surprised to see Nell take the award following his hat-trick.

Swindon is a tough place to come and the Wildcats are in a decent run of form, buoyed by an expectant home crowd.  The Phantoms did well to keep the home supporters out of the game for long stretches, and with a little more luck may have been able to keep the puck out of their own goal in the final period.  Nevertheless, an away point was possibly as much as they deserved after being on the end of considerable pressure and a 39 to 25 shot count.

The previous match up had seen the Phantoms play with intensity on their own ice; this performance saw them try to control the game in a calmer fashion, aware that their hosts would see plenty of the puck and put them under pressure.  There was no lack of effort from the Phantoms, and credit to the Wildcats for the way they came out at the start of the second, which prevented the Phantoms generating any sustained offence, but a third Phantoms goal at that point might well have led to a different outcome.

All eyes now on the Basingstoke double header, which won’t determine the destination of the league title, but which may change the complexion of the league table at the start of the New Year.

 

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2017-18: Swindon Wildcats (Saturday 23rd December 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 6 Swindon Wildcats 2

MoM: Owen Griffiths

Well it’s been quite a while since the last home fixture for the Phantoms, and with a combination of events meaning it’s been even longer since a ‘beyond the blue line’ post it was good to get back to the hockey, as the Phantoms and Wildcats served up a Christmas crackers and reminded us exactly why we follow the sport.

If ever a week was going to be critical in the context of the season this feels like it is it; a double header against Swindon and Basingstoke could go some way in determining the league title (though it should be noted that the Phantoms have to play the Bison four times in the league before the season concludes).

The big story of the week the was the return to Peterborough of Eddie Bebris, though most disappointingly for Phantoms’ fans, not in the blue and white of the home side, but the red of Swindon, after 17 Elite League games (1+4) with the Coventry Blaze.  Bebris is hugely popular here in Peterborough, not least because of a stellar run in the team he had in the play-off winning season, and many will be disappointed that he hasn’t returned for a third stint.  Good luck to Eddie going forward, except when he’s playing the Phantoms, of course!

In other news, Euan King started in goal for the Phantoms after leaving the game in Sheffield last week and there being enough doubt about him playing that Dan Lane warmed up in case King wasn’t in a position to start.

Despite the fact that the Phantoms have only dropped three points in the league there have been some disappointing cup results and a feeling that the team have rarely got out of second gear.  If this was the case previously it certainly wasn’t the case on Saturday, with both teams serving up top quality hockey with real intensity and excitement in a game where there was uncertainty about who would win until the third period, where the Phantoms put Swindon to the sword.

The Phantoms were ‘at it’ from the off, desperate to secure the points in a key encounter, and despite falling behind twice there didn’t seem to be too much wrong with the way the home team were playing.

The game had been even before the opening goal, when Sam Bullas scored for the ‘Cats when the puck fortuitously fell to him on a powerplay, and the big #13 made no mistake from the edge of the crease.

Bullas’ goal took the game to another level.  Moments later Pick and Bullas dropped their gloves for the first fight we’ve seen in a long time here in Peterborough, with Bullas having the take down after both combatants traded blows, and Salem and Griffiths went close to a short-handed equaliser before James White (the game-sheet gave the goal to Padelek, but it very much looked like White’s goal) slotted home to tie the scores after twenty minutes.

With two minutes of the second period in the book Luc Johnson expertly redirected an Oliver Stone drive from the point to give the Wildcats the lead once more and it would take much longer for the Phantoms to equalise this time round, but Darius Pliskauskas’ first of the evening, a powerplay goal fired into an empty cage after Marr had saved a Weldon shot ensured that the teams started the third period on equal terms.

The final frame saw the Phantoms take the lead after 10 minutes. Penalties were key, as Owen Griffiths, Tom Norton and Glenn Billing scored third period powerplay goals as the Wildcats took 36 PiMs in the final twenty minutes, including a key 2+10 for Phil Hill for checking Padelek to the head.  Pliskauskas swept in an empty netter to complete the scoring late in the game.

Aaron Nell looked to the rafters as the penalties racked up, and certainly didn’t agree with all of Mr Brooks’ decisions, but an inability to keep out of the box cost the Wildcats dear.

The Phantoms have averaged 8 PiMs per league game before Saturday but racked up 22 of their own.  Following Pick and Bullas fighting we saw Owen Griffiths and Stephen Whitfield called for roughing, and late in the game James White and Luc Johnson had a dust up with Johnson securing the take down after another even encounter.  I’m not sure that anything had been said in the Phantoms’ locker room, but what we saw on the ice in terms of passion and a determination for the visitors not to take liberties was clear.  Like London buses I’m not sure we’d seen a fight all year, and lo and behold, there was a couple within a period.  Like fights or not, and I’m in the camp that says we don’t need to, to get fans off their seats, the way the third period got the supporters behind the team was something to see.

Well done to Owen Griffiths for grabbing the game winning goal, and to Euan King for an excellent display.  My MoM was Tom Norton for a performance that saw him cut off the Wildcats’ offensive threat throughout and getting a goal of his own, but in a sense picking a MoM is churlish after a terrific team performance.

Renny Marr was deservedly given the MoM beers for the visitors on an evening where even the addition of Bebris couldn’t see the Wildcats home as they gifted the Phantoms with two much coveted points.

Have a good Christmas and a Happy New Year, and we’ll be back at it against the Bison on 1^st January.  It could be interesting!

Season 2017-18: Milton Keynes Thunder (Saturday 11th November 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 1 Milton Keynes Thunder 2 (PSO)

On a night where a sub-par Phantoms toiled against one of the league’s smaller and less-fancied sides, the team at the top of the table couldn’t buy a goal for love nor money and subsequently lost in a shoot-out, with Ross Bowers, last seen in the EPL in 2015, putting the finishing touches on an unexpected victory.

For the third consecutive game against former NIHL opponents the Phantoms found themselves trailing in the first period, as the talented Rio Grinell-Park tapped in a rebound after Adam Long had saved Bowers’ initial shot with almost eight minutes on the clock.

Urged into action, the Phantoms tested Tom Annetts on several occasions before Glenn Billing tied things up after 14 09, redirected a Robbie Ferrara drive from the blue line for his fourth league goal of the campaign so far.

And that was that.

For the remainder of the game the Phantoms found themselves dominating puck possession and shots on goal, with Annetts equal to everything that the home side could throw at him.  Pliskauskas had a goal washed off as the net was off its moorings, and yet it was the Thunder who might have taken a regulation time lead in the second period when a shot came back off the frame of the goal, and again in the last two minutes when Long managed to get enough on the puck to deflect it onto the post once more.

I can scarcely remember a game where a team had so many shots on goal, with the game sheet recording one goal against the Thunder in 70 shots, and Adam Long saving 20 of 21 in 65 minutes.  Time and again, and especially so in the second period and third periods, the Phantoms were camped in the MK Thunder zone, only to be denied by stout defensive play and resolute net-minding.

Of course, there is a sub-text to so many shots on goal and such a meagre return; the Phantoms rarely created clear cut chances, shot from distance more often than not, and on the handful of occasions that they found Annetts out of position he pulled off smart saves.

The Thunder couldn’t add to their shot tally in the extra period whilst the Phantoms had six shots on goal, but with no decider scored we saw the dreaded shoot-out.  Annetts foiled Pliskauskas, Goode and Bowers scored for MK either side of a Padelek goal for the Phantoms, and with the pressure of the win on Owen Griffiths the Thunder netminder won the game for the visitors.

A bad say at the office?

Maybe, but the Phantoms have started slowly in a number of games this year and whether that is complacency against the old NIHL teams it is hard to say, but clearly having to play catch-up hockey is not ideal.  The game felt flat, and with the talent on the Phantoms’ roster these are games that we would, and should expect the Phantoms to win.  Ultimately, a combination of good netminding and defensive play cost the Phantoms, but a lack of guile in front of goal and no great sense of urgency until the death meant that the Phantoms didn’t take the win that they would’ve expected.

The league season has seen the Phantoms win ten and drop points in just two games this year, and if those games had been against Swindon, Bracknell or Basingstoke it would be one thing, but the feeling is that with those losses being against the Raiders and MK Thunder there is even more emphasis on the games between the bigger four clubs now.

All teams will face their challenges over the course of the season, and the Phantoms will be keen to see games against Basingstoke and Bracknell to put some daylight between themselves, and those clubs who are most likely to be challenging come the end of the season.  Bracknell will miss Bakrlik, suspended for six games following that blind siding of Mason Webster last week, and so Basingstoke are the team to beat.

For comparisons sakes, MK Thunder lost in Basingstoke last weekend 7-2, with the home side having 38 shots on target, and at this stage, despite having lost five national cup games have a 100% record in the league.

Will Basingstoke lose to one of the smaller clubs this season?  Possibly.  Will the Phantoms need to secure points home and away against Basingstoke?  Almost certainly.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.