Phoenix trap Wildcats to go top

Sunday, 10th October 2010

Phoenix 7 Swindon Wildcats 3

A first period attacking master class from Manchester Phoenix helped them canter to an excellent 7-3 win over Swindon Wildcats and maintain their impressive start to the season.

Six different players tallied goals in an opening 20 minutes that was as good as it's been for Tony Hand's side.

From the moment the referee was checked in the first minute – his reward for being in the wrong place at the wrong time – the match was always going to be feisty.

And so it proved as both sides exchanged nudges and hard hits in a scrappy opening seven minutes.

Greg Wood saw his shot hit the bar in the eighth minute before James Archer fed Pavel Gomenyuk for Phoenix' first goal on 7:47. Ryan Aldridge's Wildcats turned up the heat and it was no surprise when they levelled less than three minutes later – but in fortuitous circumstances.

A simple pass across the front of goal was inadvertently tipped in by Phoenix' Tom Duggan.

But Manchester got over that unlucky equaliser in impressive fashion. With Swindon a man down or Hooking, Curtis Huppe got a telling deflection on Gomenjuk's pass on 13:21 and less than a minute later James Archer blasted high past Chris Douglas.

Then it got better.

On 17:21 Phoenix sent two skaters either side of Douglas' post and with Steven Wallace's shot causing mayhem, Greg Wood had the simple task of backhanding it low to make it 4-1.

44 seconds later it was five as Ladislav' Harabin's hopeful punt into the crease saw Ben Wood fight for the loose puck and tuck it under the Swindon netminder.

Just to underline their pure dominance, the excellent Marcus Kristoffersson added another with 14 seconds left in the period.

Whatever was said in the Swindon dressing room at the break certainly lifted their spirits – but not Chris Douglas – who's harrowing time between the pipes, saw James Hadfield brought on in his place.

Wildcats' talisman Jozef Kohut brought what many thought was an early consolation to the match with a nicely taken marker 32 seconds into the second.

Then Gomenjuk and Sam Bullas exchanged blows behind Steve Fone's goal – the former an unwilling combatant but still landing his fair share on his younger opponent.

That saw them both in the bin for four-minute Roughing minors – and Bullas' actions did the trick as on 27:09 the Wildcats pulled another back.

Simply, a nice interchange of passing between Jozef Liska and Kohut created the space for Ryan Watt to coolly slot home.

Swindon had the chance to pull within two on 35 minutes after Harabin hauled down Liska on the way to goal, but Fone was far too good for Kohut on the resultant penalty shot.

In the third, the Wildcats upped the ante once more with more tough physical play – some of it bordering on cynical – but Tony Hand's powerplay blaster settled a contest that looked a lot closer than on the scoreboard than it really was.

The result backed up the excellent 6-4 win over title rivals Slough on Saturday night.

Tied three apiece at the end of the second with goals from Kristoffersson, Gomenuik and Hand, Phoenix finally got the telling marker on 51:26 from James Archer.

Huppe's 5 on 3 goal made it a two-goal game before Gregg Rockman vacated the Jets' goal and enabled Slava Koulikov to pull one back.

But Kristoffersson's empty netter late on sealed the deal.

Tony Hand was pleased with his side's efforts.

He said: “We came out like a train in the first period and we could have had more goals. It was clear that we took our foot off the gas in the second period and we got punished for it.

“That was a timely reminder that we still have things to learn in this league.

“But overall I’m delighted with they way we’ve started the season. It’s still early days but it’s nice to be in top spot.”