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4 point weekend for Phoenix

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Manchester Phoenix 4 - Milton Keynes Lightning 3

Phoenix scorers: James Archer, Robin Kovar, Luke Boothroyd and Tony Hand

J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix earned themselves a 4 point weekend when they added to their victory on Saturday night over the Steeldogs with an exciting 4-3 home win over Milton Keynes Lightning.

Games between Lightning and Phoenix are always tough and uncompromising affairs and this one continued that tradition. Milton Keynes were fastest out of the traps and found themselves 2-0 up after just 8.25. Leigh Jamieson scored the first, assisted by Blaz Emersic and Janne Jokila after just 3.23. They doubled the lead 5 minutes later when Janne Jokila scored after Phoenix coughed the puck up on the boards. Assists went to Jordan Cownie and Ben Russell. This stung Phoenix into action and they pulled a goal back on 12.57 with a neat James Archer goal. He was on the spot to sweep the puck home from a Tony Hand pass. Robert Schnabel was given the second assist. Two minutes later the teams were level. Phoenix, on a delayed penalty call, pulled Stephen Fone for the extra attacker and took full advantage. Robin Kovar got the goal with assists to James Archer and Luke Boothroyd. The period ended with the teams level at 2-2 after a good end to end tussle.

Phoenix took the lead after 28.18 as Luke Boothroyd latched on to a Michal Psurny pass to blast the puck past Stephen Wall. Second assist went to Richard Bentham. Phoenix were the dominant side in the second period and outshot their opponents 14-7 to take a 3-2 lead to the second break.

Phoenix scored early in the third when Tony Hand got a stick to a Joe Graham pass on the edge of the crease and the puck deflected into the net to send the home fans delirious. With less than 5 minutes left Lightning again made it a one goal game with a Stanislav Lascek goal, assisted by Lukas Zatopek and Tom Carlon. Everything kicked off 22 seconds after the goal as a mass brawl took place behind Stephen Wall’s net. Kovar and Stanislav Lascek squared up and received 2 plus 2 for their trouble. Robert Schnabel picked up a game misconduct for being third man in on the fight. As Schnabel was leaving the ice, agitator extreme Grant McPherson decided to get in on the act and took on Robert Schnabel. A huge mistake for the Scotsman as he took quite a pounding from the huge Czech defender and a 10 minute call for incitement. The scraps livened up a large crowd and the game also benefited as Phoenix pressed hard for a goal. No further goals ensued and the match ended with Phoenix deserving the points with a 4-3 win. Phoenix were well worth their victory to keep them at the top of the league table.