Bees feel backlash as Lightning hit three
Phantoms edge battle of local rivals
It was third time lucky for Milton Keynes Lightning as they defeated Bracknell Bees 3-0 in a super performance at The Hive on Sunday.
After going down 5-3 and 5-2 in the first two encounters this season there was good reason to fear the worst for the English Premier League trip to Berkshire.
But after a goalless first period in which penalties came and went for both sides without the powerplay units making any impression, it was the visitors who struck in the second period through Michael Wales after 24mins 58secs, Matt Towalski the provider.
Things just got better for Lightning and the travelling army of fans when James Archer added goal number two on 34mins 30secs - this time Greg Randall was the supplier.
A tussle between Joe Greener and Lukas Zatopek followed with the Bracknell man getting a two plus two minutes spell in the penalty box for roughing.Zatopek stepped away from the bust up unpenalised.
That only served to give Lightning evening more of an advantage as on the resulting powerplay the home supporters' hopes were diminished a even more when Andre Smulter fired in Lightning's third goal past goalie Gregg Rockman at 38mins 47secs with Wales getting the assist.
There was some concern when Adam Radmall was hit in the face with a puck but he played on as Lightning staged a massive effort in the third period to hold onto their lead.
Bees had the chance of a late goal when Radmall was called for slashing with 1min 40secs to go - the only penalty called in the third period by referee Rene Ross - but the visitors' defence was not to be breached.
Twenty four hours earlier Lightning suffered a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to bitter rivals Peterborough Phantoms.
In a closely fought and even game neither side was able to get a breakthrough until after the halfway stage. Unfortunately for Lightning's faithful it was Phantoms who got off the mark first while James Pease was sitting out a holding penalty at 30mins 30secs.
James Hutchinson was the supplier for Nathan Rempel to shoot past netminder Barry Hollyhead on 31mins 28secs.
Minutes earlier Phantoms had suffered a blow with the loss of Joe Miller on a five minutes plus game penalty for high sticks and Adam Carr received an identical penalty for the same offence before the end of the second session.
There were no further goals until the 49th minute when Lightning grabbed a powerplay equaliser with Craig Peacock serving time for delayiing the game. Radmall was the provider for Gary Clarke to beat Stephen Wall in the Phantoms net at 49mins 4secs.
Lightning had a great chance to go in front with a boarding penalty on Lewis Buckman but instead it was Peacock who supplied Brent Gough for what proved to be the winning goal, short-handed, at 53mins 33secs.
Hollyhead was withdrawn for the extra skater in the last 50secs but it was too late to force an equaliser.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
