Manchester Phoenix ENL 5 - 1 Kingston Jets
Manchester Phoenix ENL 5 - 1 Kingston Jets
The Phoenix came into this game with a full bench. Ainsley Keeler returned after a lengthy absence due to illness and injury plus two new signings in the shape of Rick Hughes and Tom King, both products of the previous Devonshire Road junior development system, coming back from Flintshire Freeze via three months in Maryland.
Kingston Jets, sitting ten points higher in the league than Phoenix may have had hopes of winning this game. However unfortunately for Kingston, their bus was unable to find the Ice Dome without a generous tour of the Altrincham Christmas lights and they arrived too late for most of them to have any effective warm-up period.
Kingston were soon on the back foot, conceding two powerplay goals in the opening five minutes, the first on a two-man advantage at 4:09. Good set up play involving Brian Worrall, Rick Hughes and Tom King saw the puck end up on the stick of Russ Richardson and he made no mistake. Barely 21 seconds later, it was two-nil to Phoenix as Arran Richardson took an accurate pass from Danny Binns to slip the puck passed Andrew Jaszczyk in the Kingston net. End to end play for the remainder of the period with the Phoenix shading the offensive power until Brian Worrall put himself in the slot and took a goal courtesy of a helper from Tom King. Despite the closeness of shots on goal in the first period (15 by Phoenix, 12 by the Jets) Phoenix went to the dressing room having scored three goals without reply.
The second period began with an early injury to Jets captain, and former Altrincham player, Andy Dunn and a delay as an ambulance was needed to take him to hospital with a suspected broken ankle. Hull battled hard to offset the loss of their captain and play continued to ebb and flow between both ends of the ice. Phoenix increased their lead during a spell of 4-on-4 play as Kamie Rogerson got a telling deflection to a slapshot from Dave Costello that squeezed between the goalies pads for four-nil.
Kingston began the final session on the powerplay, with Peter Norgate in the penalty box, and they reduced the arrears with James Robinson firing a wrist shot past Benn Schofield. Phoenix were soon back on their offensive track and despite laying siege to the Jets goal, only one further score was added as the Richardson brothers combined, Arran scoring off a pass from Russ.
Phoenix ENL Manager Paul Beamont was justifiably pleased with the result saying, “They played like a team, as all three lines passed and moved up the ice as units. Transitional play was really smooth out of defence into offence and we moved the puck really well. With form like this, the trip to Queensferry tomorrow (Sunday 16th) should give us two further points.”
Phoenix Man of the Match: Dave Costello
Period Scores: 3-0, 1-0, 1-1
Phoenix Stats:
Arran Richardson 2 + 0, Russ Richardson 1 + 1, Brian Worrall 1 + 1, Jamie Rogerson 1 + 0, Danny Binns 0 + 1, Dave Costelloe 0 + 1.Rick Hughes 0 +1, Tom King 0 + 1
Nets: Benn Schofield 24/1 (95.83%)
Dave Costello earned Man of the Match for Phoenix
