Lightning's play-off dream ends in Bracknell

Published on Monday 7 April 2008 11:37

Milton Keynes Lightning's dream of a play-off semi final spot ended with a 2-1 defeat at Bracknell Bees on Sunday.

It brought the curtain down on a season which at one time promised so much for Lightning but ended without silverware for the second season running.

Lightning gave their all on Sunday but their best wasn't good enough against a Bees side who had beaten Lightning 4-3 after penalty shots at Planet Ice on Saturday.

The extra point gained by Lightning meant that all they had to do was defeat Bees in regulation time at Bracknell the following day but when they went 2-0 down in the second period the task looked almost impossible.

However a super strike from the blue line by Greg Randall with 8mins 1secs remaining gave the Lightning travelling contingent – by now in full voice with a continuous MKL Barmy Army chant - renewed hope.

It was to prove a false dawn as Bees defence was not be breached again and it was the hosts who went through to the finals weekend at Coventry instead.

Bees had the better of the early exchanges with Adam Bicknell allowed to get a clear shot on goal with three minutes gone but goalie Barry Hollyhead was able to block it.

As Lightning settled Nick Poole robbed Tom Carlon to break away but shot wide before the visitors were given a five on three powerplay with Jan Melichar and Kurt Reynolds both in the sin bin. The side produced intense pressure but couldn't break through.

Early in the second Poole had a shot saved after he and Grant McPherson tore through the Bees defence.

The deadlock was broken on 29mins 34secs when Bicknell fed Matt Foord across the face of goal and he found a gap to the left of Hollyhead.

Bees goalie Gregg Rockman denied Gary Clarke from a Toni Alasaarela pass after 33 minutes moments before Bicknell and Michal Kanka went on a two on one break. The pair exchanged passes with Kanka firing past Hollyhead at 34mins 15secs.

An altercation between Joe Baird and Alasaarela at the end of the second session saw the Lightning man given a 10 minute misconduct penalty, ruling him out of the game for the opening half of the third period.

As the minutes ticked by it looked increasingly unlikely that Lightning would score – until Randall caught out Rockman for his goal. From then on Lightning desperately sought an equaliser which in the end never came.

The previous evening at Planet Ice Poole put Lightning ahead on a powerplay after 13mins 18secs when Dwight Parrish was caught tripping McPherson.

But the lead did not last long as Michael Wales was sent to the sin bin for hooking giving Tom Carlon the chance to level at 15mins 46secs.

Once more though Lightning went back in front when Poole set up Matt Towalski for a first time shot while they were short handed 2mins 26secs into the second period.

When Clarke was called for holding in the 31st minute it gave Bees the chance of another powerplay and they gratefully took it was Bicknell beating Hollyhead at 32mins 19secs.

Just 46 seconds before the second buzzer Foord made it 3-2 to the visitors.

But Lightning were not finished and great worked by Towalski at the near post saw the puck spill to Wales who equalised after 49mins 33secs with a goal which, ultimately sent the game into five minutes of sudden death overtime.

The extra period failed to produce any further goals and it took penalty shot to separate the sides – Bees converting two and Lightning just one for a 4-3 win.It brought the curtain down on a season which at one time promised so much for Lightning but ended without silverware for the second season running.