Lightning went down 5-3 on Saturday in the home clash and then lost to a late Lewis Buckman goal in the return game the next day.

Sunday's defeat was Lightning's ninth of the league campaign and meant that they are now six points behind leaders, Guildford Flames, albeit with one game in hand.

The match on Saturday started at a high intensity and it was Phantoms who got off the mark first thanks to a defensive lapse. Brent Gough played the puck to the unmarked Nathan Rempel from a face off on the right of goal. Rempel found himself with enough time to pick his spot beyond netminder Barry Hollyhead at 13mins 36secs.

The equaliser came on 18mins 18secs as Toni Alasaarela managed to put the puck through to Gary Clarke to speed away and beat Phantoms' goalie Stephen Wall one on one.

But the joy was short lived as yet another error saw Gough set up James Morgan with space in front of goal and he made no mistake in beating Hollyhead on 18mins 25secs.

Phantoms extended their lead within the first 90 seconds of the second period when referee Steve Wardell awarded them a penalty shot following a goalmouth tussle – Rempel converting.

A five on three powerplay for Lightning came and went without them being able to take advantage and it was Peterborough who found the net again when Gough was provider for Adam Reynolds, again unmarked in front of goal to score on 33mins 14secs to make it 4-1.

Lightning began to step up the pressure in the final 15 minutes and the efforts were rewarded when the teams were four on four – Adam Carr's shot from the blue line being tipped in by Ales Parez at 50mins 23secs.

An onrushing Chris McEwen then met Alasaarela's pass from the left to make it 4-3 with just under eight minutes remaining.

Lightning withdrew Hollyhead for the extra skater with just over a minute to go but the move backfired as Craig Peacock netted from just inside his own half with 31 seconds to go.

The following night both teams again went full tilt from the start with both Hollyhead and Wall keeping out anything fired at them – Clarke and Parez in particular testing Wall early on.

At the Lightning end Joe Miller and Rempel had good chances but with the defences dominating opportunities were few and far between.

Lightning began to have the upper hand in the second session but Wall kept them at bay and Miller could have scored for Phantoms.

In the event it was Miller who set up the all deciding goal after McEwen was penalised for delaying the game after firing the puck over the plexi in the 55th minute. The puck went in off the bar with Buckman being credited with the final touch at 55mins 56secs to make it 1-0 and seal Phantoms' victory.