News

Phoenix find Flames too hot to handle

Tweet

Guildford Flames 9 - 2 Manchester Phoenix

Manchester Phoenix suffered a crushing defeat on Saturday going down 9-2 to the red-hot Guildford Flames and their woes were further added to as enforcer Andre Payette was ruled out of Sunday's return fixture in Altrincham having received a Match penalty for Fighting in the closing minutes.

Phoenix player coach Tony Hand was philosophical after the game when he noted, "For us to be successful, we need every player to perform to the best of his ability every night. Tonight, we simply were not good enough and Guildford punished our mistakes. They have the depth in their roster that we don't have, their third line alone was far too good and powerful for our third line."

"We're were a goal to the good after twenty minutes, but the wheels came off in the second as Guildford took their chances clinically, that's the difference right now. We did not play well and we failed to take what chances we made. They were deeper and certainly took their chances. Losing Andre late in the game is no excuse, but he'll not play on Sunday and that will hurt our chances of bouncing back against the same opposition."

"Tonight, we too many players below par and we simply cannot afford that as we haven't got the level of cover that a Guildford have. I have to give them credit for the job they did, but from the start of the second period, we didn't play very well and the players know it. We have a huge job ahead of us on Sunday and we need to get it done if we're to stay in contention."

Swedish defenceman Andre Mattsson had fired Phoenix into a fifth minute lead on assists from Adam Walker and Hand, while Steve Fone in goal turned away all eleven Flames shots in the session.

But the second period saw a monumental reversal of the fortunes as the Flames scored four times; two for Martin Masa and one apiece for Lukas Smital and Rob Lamey as the Phoenix seemed powerless to prevent them scoring.

The final session saw Jez Lundin make it five before Smital added his second and Masa completed his hat-trick. Robert Lachowicz tallied the second of the game for the visitors in the 56th minute, but the Flames emphasised their superiority as Lamey added his second and Rick Plant ended the rout with the ninth seconds after Payette had received his marching orders, ejected from the game and Sunday's return fixture for Fighting.