Penalty shot heartbreak for Lightning
Loss follows home win over Romford
Milton Keynes Lightning suffered the disappointment of a penalty shoot out loss at Telford Tigers on Sunday after leading the game 3-1 with 15 minutes to go.
In a match which became increasingly niggly as it went on Tigers' James Knight and Lightning's James Archer were involved in a bout of fisticuffs halfway through.
At that stage the visitors were 2-1 ahead thanks to a first period strike by Michael Wales on 17mins 25secs and a powerplay goal from Matt Towalski after 26mins 41secs. Telford had taken a 14th minute lead through the veteran Claude Dumas.
When Andre Smulter increased Lightning's lead at 41mins 39secs hopes were high of a four point weekend. But then the team ran into penalty trouble as Marek Hornak reduced the gap at 46mins 32secs and then levelled, even-handed, at 52mins 33secs.
That sent the game into overtime, which produced no further goals and so penalty shots were required with Archer and Smulter both having their efforts saved while Dumas scored the winning goal for Tigers.
A day earlier Lightning despatched Romford Raiders back to Essex with a 7-4 defeat – a victory which would have been far greater but for some defensive lapses.
Archer gave Lightning a dream start with a goal after just 36 seconds – firing home Greg Randall's rebounding blueline blast.
Adam Carr converted Ales Parez' behind the net pass to make it 2-0 on 11mins 37secs and Lightning looked on course for a big win.
The hosts stretched the lead to three when Andre Smulter was provider for Nick Poole to score after 17mins 43secs.
Strangely Romford had only been sparked into life by Lightning's second goal and they shocked the home faithful with a goal by Mark Stewart with 24 seconds remaining of the first period.
Once more Lightning increased the lead with Smulter crashing the puck in from long range on 26mins 44secs before a defensive lapse allowed the unmarked Darren Cotton to score less than two minutes later.
Smulter- and Clarke – were then suppliers for Poole to fire a first time volley into the net at 33mins 15s.
Many were expecting the floodgates to open in the third period – especially after Grant McPherson scored when given acres of space on 42mins 26secs.
However Lightning were punished when no one kept tabs on Danny Marshall and he got Raiders' third a minute or so later. The same player then made it 6-4 on 46mins 1secs as goalie Barry Hollyhead was left exposed by his defence.
In the end it was speedy defenceman Chris McEwen who sealed the game at 7-4 with the final goal at 51mins 44secs.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
