Hand powers Phoenix to fourth win

Sunday, 26th September 2010

Phoenix 3 Basingstoke Bison 1

He's still the best in the business and tonight he proved it. Tony Hand rolled back the years once again as Manchester Phoenix continued their impressive start to the English Premier League season with a clinical 3-1 win over Basingstoke Bison.

A double from Player-Coach Hand sandwiched a crucial Curtis Huppe marker to back up Saturday night's 6-3 away victory over champions Milton Keynes Lightning.

Basingstoke flew out of the blocks, peppering Steve Fone in the Phoenix goal before Hand began his timely masterclass.

Just after the feisty Marcus Kristofferson had flattened Tony Redmond with a crashing hit, Hand’s cross/shot rattled the post and sneaked past Tom Annetts on 4:31 to give Phoenix the lead.

Spurred on, Ladislav Harabin went close for the home side then Hand combined with Ben Morgan to produce the most sublime goal for hotshot Curtis Huppe.

Hand took the puck over the red line, slipped it back-handed to the young defender who showed all intentions of shooting before he coolly found the Phoenix sniper on the back post.

And it nearly got much better when Greg Wood took a Stephen Wallace pass late on only to be stoned right on the line by Annetts.

Manchester ran into penalty trouble in the second period but their penalty kill and ability to fight for every puck was too strong.

Firstly, Huppe was called for a slash on 23:17, and then when he returned to the ice he drew a penalty from everyone's favourite villain, Bison tough guy Chris Wiggins.

Phoenix couldn't convert but two penalties in one minute gave the Bison the ideal chance to hit back.

Yet, Hand was having none of it... down to 5 on 3, he found himself in space in the neutral zone, got one on one with Annetts and slotted precisely to make it 3-0.

Pavel Gomeniuk and Ciaran Long were called for Roughing and Elbows respectively in the last five minutes of the period, then Phoenix had a Powerplay shot late on but couldn't find a telling pass.

Basingstoke stepped up a gear in the third but couldn't find a way past Fone and his well-marshalled defence – Morgan in particular producing a fine last gasp diving block when he lost the puck in the neutral zone.

As the Bison fought back, chances were created on both sides, and despite Chris Wiggins putting his weight about with aggression bordering on over the top play, Phoenix were in no mood to let it slip - Ondrej Lauko adding his side's solitary goal in the last two minutes that some would consider hard on Phoenix and Fone in particular.

Basingstoke cut a lost side at the end as Annetts went for the extra skater, only to be thrown back in when the evergreen Steve Moria was caught for hooking on Gomeniuk, and Phoenix ended the night on the Powerplay to secure their 100 per cent start to the season.

Man of the Match Tony Hand said: “Coming on the back of our outstanding win in Milton Keynes, this is just what we wanted to keep the momentum going.

“It was a great result and a great show of strength, discipline and determination by the guys.”