MATCH REPORT | LIGHTNING STRIKE LATE TO CLAIM WIN IN PETERBOROUGH

Three goals in the last ten minutes were enough for the Milton Keynes Lighting to claim victory on Sunday night, but it was another battling performance from the SLS Peterborough Phantoms.

Dom Gabaj swapped Milton Keynes for Peterborough over the summer and added to his Saturday night goal against the Lightning by opening the scoring with just over five minutes played. The Slovakian forward won the puck back just outside the offensive zone, drove towards goal and ripped his shot low past Jordan Hedley.

Another former Lightning man, Dillon Lawrence, made it two with just under ten minutes played. The Canadian forward capitalised on good work from Luke Ferrara and Janne Laakkonen to apply the finishing touch out in front.

But MKL hit back inside a minute, when they worked the puck into the offensive zone and David Thomson found space in the right circle to finish well past Matt Hennessey.

The visitors levelled the scores at 17:03 when Danny Weight pounced on a fortunate bounce for the visitors.

The scoring continued into the second period and it was MKL who got the next - Toms Rutkis converting from in close after Phantoms struggled to clear the zone.

And it turned into a difficult minute for the Phantoms, as Weight squeezed a shot through the five hole of Hennessey 12 seconds later for his second of the night.

Phantoms continued to push, with Lawrence and Gabaj seeing efforts well saved by Hedley.

Harry Gulliver was then ejected for MKL for leaving the bench for an altercation - affording Phantoms a 5 minute powerplay.

And that powerplay saw the momentum swing firmly back in Phantoms’ favour. Gabaj grabbed his second of the night when he lifted a shot into the roof of the net from in close.

Then, at 35:02, it was a tie game, as Gabaj pulled off a lovely move on the blue line - faking to shoot and finding Ferrara, who blasted home Phantoms’ fourth.

Phantoms continued to hold the momentum they’d built up and took the lead into the second intermission courtesy of another well worked goal from Phantoms’ top line - finished off by Lawrence.

The first goal of the third period always felt like it would be crucial and, unfortunately for Phantoms, it was the visitors who grabbed it. Sean Norris ripping home a great shot into the top corner from the left circle.

The push continued from Ash Tait’s side and they almost levelled when Ferrara and Laakkonen broke 2-on-1, but the former was denied by a big save from Hedley.

MKL hit the front again with 9:31 to play in the third as Jarred White one timed a Mack Stewart pass into the top corner of Hennessey’s goal.

And with Phantoms committing more to the attack in search of a leveller, MKL extended their lead to two when Bradey Johnson went for a wraparound, but the puck popped out for Ed Knaggs to tap in against his former club.

The scoring was rounded off by Kell Beattie, who sent the puck into the empty net to seal the win for the Lightning.

FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 5-8 Milton Keynes Lightning