MATCH REPORT | HOUGH HEROICS SECURE DERBY DAY WIN

Five goals from Phantoms import, Cam Hough, put the Milton Keynes Lightning to the sword in a game for the ages at a sold out Planet Ice Peterborough.

1263 people piled into the arena for another fiercely contested encounter between two local rivals - with Phantoms looking for payback after a 5-3 loss in Milton Keynes the night before.

It was an end-to-end start to the game with neither side creating too much in the way of Grade A chances - that was until Luke Ferrara and Hougn broke 2-on-0 shorthanded, but Jordan Hedley shifted across his crease well to make the stop.

Phantoms found themselves behind when Harry Gulliver tipped Jordan Spadafore’s blue line effort beyond Hayden Lavigne and into the back of the net.

But the MKL lead didn’t last too long as the persistence and determination of Corey McEwen and Dillon Lawrence saw Lawrence tee up Ralfs Circenis in the left circle, who slapped home the leveller on 11 minutes.

The topsy-turvy, end-to-end nature of the game continued throughout the first period and the next goal came for MKL when Spadafore blasted one in from the blue line on the powerplay.

But their celebrations were short lived again as Phantoms hit back 40 seconds later - Hough picking up his first of the night on a feed from Lawrence for a Phantoms powerplay marker.

Phantoms hit the front just 10 seconds into the second period - when Spadafore got caught trying to make a hit at centre ice, Phantoms broke in behind and Lawrence finished well from in close to make it 3-2 to Ashley Tait’s side.

Hough made it four, again on the powerplay, where he capitalised on a goalmouth scramble - created by good work from Janne Laakkonen and Ferrara.

But MKL are no pushovers and hit back at 33:12, with Sean Norris notching his second goal of the weekend with four seconds remaining on the MKL man advantage.

Phantoms’ line of Jasper Foster, Louie Kynaston and Alex Rushby were proving to be a thorn in the side of the Lightning, with Kynaston twice going close, before Rushby drew a Phantoms powerplay after taking a poor hit from Spadafore.

So Phantoms began the third period 4-3 ahead and with a 5-on-3 powerplay - capitalised on by Laakkonen, who tipped in a Circenis blue line effort at 41:10 to put the Phantoms two ahead.

But that was by no means game over, as the Lightning struck three without reply. The first came at 45:12 when Janne Jokinen lifted his shot into the top shelf from out in front on the powerplay.

The second followed two minutes later, when Gulliver got in behind the Phantoms defence and lifted his shot into the top corner on the short side.

And the turnaround was complete (for now) when Patrik Forsberg gained the zone and found a gap between Lavigne and the post from a tight angle.

Phantoms took a timeout at 48:44 and it turned out to be an inspired decision, as they went on the offensive in a bid to get themselves back in the game again. Lawrence, Circenis and Laakkonen all went close, before a heroic diving block by Kynaston saw Forsberg denied at the other end.

And Phantoms had their moment when Ferrara dropped the puck off for Laakkonen, who dropped it off for Hough, who ripped home the leveller in off the far post.

The same combination linked up again just over a minute later to give Phantoms the lead once more, as Hough found the far corner again.

MKL went for broke in the closing stages by pulling the goalie, with the Phantoms fans in full voice, singing: “Cam Hough again olé olé”

So it was only fitting that Hough rounded off the scoring into the empty net, notching his fifth of the night as Phantoms won the local derby in front of a sold out Planet Ice Peterborough!