Phoenix go down to the Jets in Playoff Final

Playoff Semi-Final
Manchester Phoenix 6-5 Sheffield Steeldogs (After penalty shootout)

Playoff Final
Manchester Phoenix 1-4 Slough Jets

After a season long battle with injuries, Manchester Phoenix had nothing left in the tank in the Playoff Final on Sunday night as they went down 4-1 to Slough Jets.

Phoenix, who beat rivals Sheffield Steeldogs after a penalty shoot out on Saturday, simply had no answer to the Jets game plan the following night and ended the season trophy less.

Ciaran Long netted the lone Phoenix goal in the final but goals from Adam Calder, Doug Sheppard and Darius Pliskauskas (2) handed Slough their third playoff title in five years.

Phoenix squandered a three goal lead against Sheffield the night before, but Stephen Wallace fired in the decisive penalty shot after overtime couldn’t separate the sides.

Steeldogs opened the scoring in the first period through Andre Payette but Phoenix hit back with three straight goals from Wallace, James Archer and Martin Cingel.

Edgar Bebris brought Sheffield back to within one, but goals from Long and another from Archer seemingly put Phoenix out of sight.

However Phoenix stumbled in the final minutes allowing Sheffield to tie the game with goals from Payette again and Ben Morgan (2) pushing the game to overtime where Juraj Faith converted his penalty shot and Wallace struck the winner.

EPL Playoff Semi Final Line Up

Semi Final 1 - Saturday 14th April 3pm
Guildford Flames v Slough Jets

Semi Final 2 - Saturday 14th April 7pm
Manchester Phoenix v Sheffield Steeldogs

Phoenix sink Cats; Progress to Coventry

Playoff Quarterfinal 2nd Leg
Manchester Phoenix 4-0 Swindon Wildcats (6-1 agg)

A full strength Manchester Phoenix booked their place at the EPL playoff finals weekend after stellar weekend performances from Steve Fone and James Archer.

Phoenix despatched Swindon Wildcats over two legs with a narrow 2-1 win in Wiltshire on Saturday before a second period blow out and 4-0 win on Sunday kept Phoenix in the hunt for the final piece of silverware.

Manchester will now face rivals Sheffield Steeldogs in the second semi final with Guildford Flames facing the Slough Jets in the early face off.

On Saturday, Phoenix goals from Slava Koulikov and Stephen Wallace were enough to take a slender lead back to Altrincham after netminder Fone produced a sparkling performance with 45 saves, keeping Swindon to a lone Jaroslav Cesky goal.

Phoenix then finished the job with ease on Sunday after Archer opened the scoring in the 8th minute, three goals in nine minutes from the home side ended any hopes for Swindon.

Archer bagged his second early in the middle period before a shorthanded goal from Tom Duggan and a second strike of the weekend from Wallace settled the contest leaving Fone to blank the visitors and put Phoenix in the final four for the third year running.

EPL Final League Standings

		Pld	W	OW	OL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Guildford Flames	54	30	6	5	13	242	158	77
2	Manchester Phoenix	54	30	4	5	15	205	169	73
3	Sheffield Steeldogs	54	26	6	5	17	170	143	69
4	Slough Jets	54	29	4	2	19	228	175	68
5	Milton Keynes Lightning	54	27	5	2	20	176	145	66
6	Basingstoke Bison	54	20	7	3	24	183	189	57
7	Swindon Wildcats	54	25	0	6	23	201	193	56
8	Peterborough Phantoms	54	17	3	7	27	188	232	47
9	Bracknell Bees	54	13	5	10	26	163	213	46
10	Telford Tigers	54	6	7	2	39	138	277	28

Phoenix edge Phantoms in final league game

Manchester Phoenix 3-2 Peterborough Phantoms

James Archer scored with less than three minutes remaining to lift Manchester Phoenix past a desperate Peterborough Phantoms.

Phantoms, needing a point from the game or Bracknell to lose to make the end of season playoffs, staged a third period fight back to scare the home side in their final league game.

Phoenix took the lead early in the first period as Stephen Wallace netted from close range after good work from Tom Duggan as he fought his was through the Phantoms defence to create the chance.

They doubled their lead late in the second period with a controversial goal from Juraj Faith, which Phantoms netminder Damien King was adamant the puck did not cross the goal line.

But with the Phantoms playoff hopes in the balance, they tied the game with two goals in less than a minute through Ondrej Lauko and Luke Ferrara seemingly sending the game to overtime with a valuable point going to the visitors.

However a late power-play chance for Phoenix saw Archer fire a bullet slap shot that was too hot for King to handle to seal the points, with the assist again going to Duggan.

Phantoms however clinched a playoff spot after Bracknell crashed out with a 7-3 loss to Swindon Wildcats, who will be Phoenix’s opponents next weekend in the playoff quarter-finals.

Coach Tony Hand said: “This has been a real rollercoaster of a league campaign and I think we can be proud of what we achieved, considering the injuries we carried for a large part of the season.

“We are ready for the playoffs, we know what Swindon are capable of, and we are looking forward to challenging for the final piece of silverware this season.”