MATCH REPORT | A NIGHT TO REMEMBER FOR FERRARA DESPITE RESULT IN TELFORD

A difficult night in the Jungle saw the Wendy’s Peterborough Phantoms slip to a 7-4 defeat against the Telford Tigers, with captain Luke Ferrara scoring his 249th goal for the club, becoming the Phantoms’ all-time leading goalscorer!

It was a near-perfect start in Shropshire, with Ferrara opening the scoring at 02:25, levelling Ales Padelek’s record. Sustained pressure in the offensive zone saw the puck worked in close, where the visiting captain converted from close range.

Telford responded quickly, forcing Lavigne into action through Henderson and Howells, before drawing level midway through the period. Caelan McPhee mazed his way into the slot, firing low for 1-1 at 12:03, before the Tigers took the lead at 13:24 as Tate Shudra converted at the back post.

The visiting side responded on the powerplay at 15:01, as Krisjanis Fugalis sat for holding. Tom Norton’s blue-line effort hit the post, with high-scoring Cam Hough the fastest to react on the rebound to tap home and level the score at 2-2.

Momentum swung again late in the opening frame when Norton was sent to the box for slashing at 18:46. The Tigers capitalised, as former Phantom Harry Ferguson fired home on the backhand at 19:17 to give the home side a lead heading into the break.

It was another fast start for the Phantoms as period 2 got underway. Just seconds after the restart, Hough blasted an impressive one-timer from range to draw the Phantoms level - his 50th goal of the season.

History was made halfway through the game, as Hough turned provider. The Canadian tee’d up Ferrara, who made no mistake in tapping home and moved clear as the Phantoms’ all-time leading goalscorer - putting his side ahead for the first time since the opening minutes.

The lead, however, was short-lived. David Thomson struck from close range at 32:03 to level matters once more, before Ferguson restored the Tigers’ advantage just 80 seconds later, pulling Lavigne out of his paint before firing home. Despite a late Tigers penalty, with the aforementioned Thomson sitting for charging, it was the Phantoms who trailed by a goal at the second intermission.

The final frame saw the Phantoms push for a response, with one effort cleared off the line early on. Instead, it was the home side who found the next goal. James Smith tipped home at 47:49 to extend his side’s lead, before Rhodes Mitchell-King added a seventh at 55:10 to put the game beyond reach.

FINAL SCORE: Telford Tigers 7-4 Peterborough Phantoms