MANCHESTER PHOENIX 6 - 2 BRACKNELL BEES
Kovar x 2 Smital
Hand Rounding
Archer
McKinney
Bakrlik
Manchester Phoenix returned to winning ways on Sunday recording
a 6-2 victory over the Bracknell Bees, after they were beaten 5-1 by the league
leading Basingstoke Bison on the Saturday night. Two points was essential for
Manchester as having a pointless weekend would have been than a massive blow to
the club.
Phoenix squandered an early powerplay opportunity after
Matt Foord sat for two in the penalty box after he was called for Charging at
3-14 in the game.
Manchester was unable to find the net in their first powerplay
chance and was also unable to even get a shot on goal too. Bracknell tried their
hardest to get something going their way, but they too struggled to find their
aiming with both sides needing to get their collective shooting in order. Alex
Mettam and Steve Fone didn`t really face much rubber being shot at them at all
in the opening period, with a lot of shots being dragged wide.
Eventually all the possession the home side had in the
game finally saw them strike first after Robin Kovar opened the scoring at
10-04 of the opening period. The goal all came from a rebound off a Grant
Rounding effort for the Bees and from that saw the puck hacked away into the
path of Frantisek Bakrlik, who made a little tip towards his fellow Countryman
Robin Kovar. This then saw Bakrlik take the pass back and as he skated into the
Bracknell zone, he played it across for Kovar to finish off and beat Mettam
high over his glove to complete a nice move between the Czech pair and lead
1-0. Bracknell then drew level at 14-47 in the game after their own Czech
Import Lukas Smital made it 1-1. Bees Czech forward then managed to squeeze his
shot from a tight angle, as it beat Fone at the front of the net and made it even-steven
with Scott Spearing and Lewis Turner getting assists on the Bees opening goal.
Manchester`s response took less than two minutes to
come, after Player-coach Tony Hand put his side back ahead at 16-22. Hand`s
goal came after getting a little pass by James Archer near the boards and that
saw Hand take possession of the puck and with it saw him skate in the Bees zone
on a 2 on 1 for the Phoenix, the Scot then shot it past Mettam at the near post
to make it 2-1 with Rob Schnabel gaining a credit on the goal too. Manchester
controlled the period really and after Hand scored their Second, they never
looked to be in trouble after that and saw them head into the first
intermission leading by a goal.
In the Second period Bracknell almost tied the game, when
a pass up ice towards Scott Spearing caught the Phoenix defence out and luckily
for the Phoenix, Spearing`s effort was shot high over the net and hit the plexi
glass.
Tony Redmond then picked up Hooking penalty at 24-04
to put Manchester back out on the powerplay and from that, saw Phoenix go close
but no cigar as the phrase goes. Just as Redmond left
the penalty box for Bracknell, Phoenix kept up the constant pressure on the visitors
with Bakrlik having a blast saved by Mettam and saw the home side pressure the
Bees goals and led to another powerplay, with Pavel Strycek heading to the box
for Holding at 31-12. Manchester this time saw their hard work pay off as
they added a Third goal, courtesy of a James Archer strike at 32-07.
Good puck movement by the home side, seen Bakrlik play
the puck round from the half boards to the waiting Tony Hand and from there he
then fed the puck out to the front to net, where Archer then slammed it home at
the near post to make it 3-1. Bakrlik
almost made it 4-1 for the home side when a great pass by Joe Graham seen the
Czech sniper put through on goal and his effort dinged off the crossbar to see the
Bees clear away.
Bracknell then pulled a goal back whilst on the
powerplay, thanks to Bees Man of the Match in Grant Rounding. The goal scored
was a very fortunate one for the Bees, with Tony Redmond shot on goal striking
the post before it bounced back off Andy McKinney leg and trickled goal wards
with Rounding quick to poke it home for a 3-2 game.
Bracknell then pulled a goal back whilst on the
powerplay, thanks to Bees Man of the Match in Grant Rounding. The goal scored
was a very fortunate one for the Bees, with Tony Redmond shot on goal striking
the post before it bounced back off Andy McKinney leg and trickled goal wards
with Rounding quick to poke it home for a 3-2 game.
The final period saw the Phoenix score after just 49
seconds for them to go 4-2 up in the contest after the Czech duo combined once
again, with Frantisek Bakrlik assisting Robin Kovar on his Second goal of the
game, as Kovar`s wrist shot sent Alex Mettam`s waterbottle flying into the
corner of the Bees zone and saw the hosts all but secure victory.
There was no collapse by Manchester`s defence in this
game as they looked stronger as the game went on, however the Bees defence was
made to pay.
Andy McKinney netted goal number Five for the home
side, after a forceful pass by Graham on the blue line saw McKinney do great to
take control the puck, as the British forward back-handed the puck in the net
for a 5-2.
Manchester then got a lucky bounce in more ways than
one, when a puck fired in by Joe Graham took a funny bounce off the boards
behind Mettam net and the netminder managed to poke the puck right onto Bakrlik
stick and saw him score at 49-45. It was a much deserved goal for the Czech
forward, after he had grafted a lot in the game and the goal it`s self was in
keeping with the type of goals that has been seen in Manchester in recent weeks,
as there has certainly been some strange goals at the Dome this year. Manchester
claimed victory and saw them claw Two points back on the Bison in the race for
the title, with Manchester still having their own fate in their hands too,
especially as this week will test them Mentally and Physically tested starting
from Friday.
Phoenix play 3 games in 3 days and will push them to
their limits for sure. First up for Manchester is the Sheffield Steeldogs and
if any of the Phoenix players are fit enough after the expected bruising
encounter with their bitter rivals, they then face the Bracknell Bees down at
the ‘Hive’ Saturday night, before finishing off the exhausting Long Weekender
with a match against the Swindon Wildcats at the Altrincham Ice Dome on Sunday
Evening
|
English Premier League
|
GP
|
W
|
OTW
|
OTL
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
Pts
|
|
|
1
|
Basingstoke Bison
|
47
|
27
|
5
|
2
|
13
|
182
|
138
|
66
|
|
2
|
Manchester Phoenix
|
44
|
27
|
4
|
2
|
11
|
193
|
127
|
64
|
|
3
|
Guildford Flames
|
48
|
24
|
4
|
4
|
16
|
183
|
150
|
60
|
|
4
|
Milton Keynes
Lightning
|
46
|
21
|
5
|
3
|
17
|
171
|
154
|
55
|
|
5
|
Telford Tigers
|
46
|
20
|
3
|
0
|
23
|
157
|
160
|
46
|
|
6
|
Sheffield
Steeldogs
|
47
|
17
|
2
|
8
|
20
|
171
|
197
|
46
|
|
7
|
Swindon Wildcats
|
45
|
16
|
5
|
2
|
22
|
156
|
156
|
44
|
|
8
|
Bracknell Bees
|
48
|
17
|
3
|
3
|
25
|
157
|
188
|
43
|
|
9
|
Peterborough Phantoms
|
47
|
15
|
0
|
7
|
25
|
155
|
199
|
37
|
|
10
|
Slough Jets
|
46
|
15
|
2
|
2
|
27
|
144
|
200
|
36
|
PHOENIX TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdic2osvY1c
Official Phoenix http://www.manchesterphoenix.co.uk/news/2441/phoenix-bounce-back-good-win-bracknell
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