Peterborough Phantoms now skating on thin ice in the cup

The first part of the league season also doubles as cup qualification with the top four in the standings contesting the semi-finals of a competition won by Phantoms last season.

The city side are still fourth after a 3-2 home loss to reigning league champions Leeds Knights and a 4-3 defeat at rivals Bees, but there is a chasing pack right behind them all with games in hand.

Phantoms had gone into the weekend in good spirits after a 3-0 midweek win at Telford Tigers.

Phantoms could do with a four-point return from this weekend’s matches at Bristol Pitbulls on Saturday and at home to Bees at Planet Ice on Sunday (5.30pm face-off).

Phantoms scored a single goal in each period at Telford with Brad Bowering, Martins Susters and Duncan Speirs the men on target and netminder Jordan Marr taking the man of the match prize for his shutout.

Phantoms came up against an equally inspired netminder in Sam Gospel of the Leeds Knights at Planet Ice.

His excellence foiled a spirited fightback by the city skaters who trailed 3-0 early in the second period.

Susters pulled a goal back halfway through the contest with a Lukas Sladkovsky strike five minutes from time setting up a thrilling finale.

But the current table-toppers and Gospel stood firm to take the points.

Phantoms fell 2-0 down to the Bees in Slough before Luke Ferrara halved the deficit, but the hosts went 3-1 up with one period to play.

Callum Buglass struck for 3-2, but the Bees netted the next goal meaning a Susters goal with 100 seconds to play was a mere consolation.

Phantoms man of the match at Bees was Tom Norton with Sladkovsky taking the award against Leeds.