Manchester Phoenix SH 5 - 6 Kingston Kestrels
This past Saturday
afternoon saw the final home league game for the Manchester Phoenix Sledge
hockey team in the Planet Ice Sledge hockey league, as they played their
penultimate game as they hosted the title chasing Kingston Kestrels at the
Altrincham Ice Dome.
Unfortunately though, due
to certain circumstance with players unable to travel to the game or getting
stuck in traffic, it saw the game as a contest ended before it even begun, with
the Kingston side forfeiting the match. It saw later after the match that Manchester
would be awarded the victory with a 5-0 default win.
However, it wasn`t all
gloom and doom, as it was agreed that both sides would make the best of the
situation and decided to play out a friendly match with Phoenix players Steve
Bradley dressing for the Kestrels and Karl Nicholson pulling on the jersey of
his former side one more time, to help the teams levelled out a bit for this friendly.
With the drop of the puck
to start the friendly it saw Kingston score almost immediately from the face
off, with Matt Clarkson for the Kingston Kestrels skating by the Phoenix
defence, who had hardly any time to get into the game at all and saw Clarkson`s
effort saved magnificently by Steve Midghall, as he managed to tip it over the
goals for a great save in the opening thirty seconds of play.
Manchester then used that
shock attack by Kingston to react and react they did, as Dominic Cosgrove went
hard down the right wing for the Phoenix and after the forward picked up a loose
puck and see his shot saved by Bryan Hackworth in the Kestrels goal, it saw Rob
Allen follow up with a rebound that trickled in at 2-41 to put the home side
ahead.
Karl Nicholson then found
himself free for the visitors when the guest for the visitors, saw him bear
down on Midghall and witnessed the netminder once more make a great save to
deny the forward and keep the Phoenix ahead in the contest.
Kingston pressure built
and built, until the Kestrels managed to finally breakthrough the defences of
Midghall, where upon Matt Clarkson put his shot over the blocker of the
netminder to tie the game up at 1-1 with Player coach of the visitors Simon
Berry assisting at 8-46.
Kingston doubled their
lead seven seconds later, when Clarkson turned provider to set up forward Karl
Nicholson when he went cut up the Phoenix defence from the restart to see the
Humberside club move 2-1 ahead at 8-53.
It got even better for
the away side as they went three up at 9-39, with Matt Clarkson netting his
second goal of the match.
Manchester almost pulled
a goal back a few moments later, when Anthony Booth chased down a stray puck in
the neutral zone and went one on one with Bryan Hackworth, but saw the
netminder deny him to see the score remain the same. The period ended with the Kestrels coming on
strong in the middle part of the period and takes a two goal lead.
In the Second period, it
saw Karl Nicholson return back to the Phoenix fold after the arrival of Ian
Warner to the game, to which saw him delayed due to traffic trouble en route to
the Altricham Ice dome.
Kingston then stretched
their lead out to a 4-1 score line, as Matt Clarkson found his ‘top gear’ to
put the puck past the Phoenix goalie at 17-35 to complete a hat trick.
Manchester then came back
with two quick goals in a minute both through Karl Nicholson, as he netted at
22-04 and 22-34 with both being assisted by Rob Allen. Ian Warner then restored
a two goal cushion to the Kestrels with a solo effort as the G.B International made
the score move to 5-3 at 24-27.
Nicholson then found
himself free again and the Kestrels defence was unable to stop the Manchester
man, but did see the netminder come out on top in the duel to see the period
finish with the Visitors leading by two goals.
Phoenix was looking to
respond early in the third period to give them some hope of getting back in the
match and it came through Nicholson`s third goal of the game as he slid it past
Hackworth to make it 5-4 at 31-51.
Anthony Booth thought he
was going to score as he broke away on goal, but saw Hackworth once more coming
up trumps for Kingston as he repelled the Phoenix forward.
However, it saw
Manchester draw level eventually, when Nicholson set up Booth to put home from
close range and see the Phoenix and Booth specifically tying the game up at
38-18 to make it 5-5.
Steve Midghall hadn`t had
much to do in the third period with most of the action taking place up towards
the Kingston goals, but it did see him make a stunning save from close range
and then make a catch off a long range effort from the Kestrels defensive zone,
to see the score remain level pegging.
Some amazing passing and
attacking plays from the home side saw Phoenix almost retake the lead through
Booth, when a chance at the front of the net saw a scramble near the goals but saw
Hackworth show off his goaltending ability once more to see the scores stay tied.
With the game coming
towards a conclusion, it saw the visitors score a late goal to take victory in
the friendly, when a pass by Clarkson found Warner who controlled the puck and
then fire far side on Midghall, to see him beat the goalie and see Kingston
take the win 6-5 at 43-47 in what was a thoroughly entertaining game.
Man
of the match: Steve Midghall (Phoenix)
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