A HERO’S welcome greeted Matt Foord’s entrance to the ice on Sunday night.
But becoming Bracknell Bees’ all-time record appearance holder was unable to inspire the hosts to a victory over bogey side Peterborough Phantoms.
The run of results against the Cambridgeshire team is a wretched one to say the least, and you would have to go back some three seasons to remember the last time Lukas Smital’s men got the better of the reigning play-off champions.
Yet Foord and Bracknell were more than holding their own against a side who arrived at The Hive sitting second in the standings – only for deja vu to strike once again.
Bracknell shipped in four goals during the final period of the game with Sheffield Steeldogs the night before, losing 4-2, and it was the three more conceded during the concluding stanza 24 hours later which left the side on the wrong end of the result once again.
“I thought we played really well,” said Foord, who surpassed the legendary Matt Cote’s appearances tally for the club of 408 up in south Yorkshire on Saturday.
“I was saying to Smits (Smital) earlier, it is just having that experience throughout the team to close games out, because we are in it with every team we have played.
“It is just either playing with a lead or trying to get that game-winning goal.
“We just haven’t got that tiny little bit of experience.”
Bracknell began the game in a purposeful manner, but would frustratingly find themselves behind in the third minute.
More annoyingly, however, was the fact the goal arrived on the back of an attack by the home side.
Peterborough’s Jason Buckman would not only block a strike at goal, but send team-mate Milan Baranyk on his way up the other end too. With just Alex Mettam in the Bees goal to beat, the forward raced on to the loose puck and produced a composed finish.
Heads within the home camp, though, did not drop, and back they came.
But Josh Smith was unable to produce the connection needed when set up by Vanya Antonov, with Alex Barker sending a blueline drive into the gloves of Phantoms netminder Janis Auzins soon after.
Other chances of note during the first period saw James Galazzi drag a shot wide from a central position before Smital flashed an opportunity over the bar. He would connect with the rebound, too, but Auzins was again equal to the effort.
Bracknell’s perseverance, however, was finally rewarded six minutes into the second session.
They would more than double the shots on goal produced by the Phantoms during the stanza, but the one which counted was finished off by Carl Thompson.
It was a short-handed strike too, as James Galazzi had been pulled up for boarding just moments earlier.
Smital was the architect, for it was the player-coach who set off on a marauding run down the right wing, remaining in control of the puck as he took it around the back of the net before squaring to Thompson from the other side of the rink.
One touch was all the forward needed, and it was a telling one from just a yard out.
It was just desserts for a side which had been the more adventurous – yet only the quick reactions of Auzins prevented the home side going in at the break 2-1 ahead.
But the visitors too had the chance to retake the lead when Ales Padelek was bundled over by Josh Tetlow as he made his way towards goal.
The same player would take the penalty shot, but got the attempt horribly wrong and produced a touch so wild he was unable to get away a shot.
Barker was again the man foiled by the Latvian, who did well to pluck his powerful drive out of the air and prevent the player from hitting the top shelf.
Bees’ performance up until now was of much encouragement to those up in the stands, whose hopes of witnessing an end to Peterborough’s hold on this fixture over the years were growing by the second.
But there has been something about the side and the final period in recent weeks which just has not been quite right and the dreaded curse was striking again five minutes after the restart.
They say all goals are avoidable and this was very much a case in point as Bracknell were unable to clear their lines.
It all came about from a Darius Pliskauskas strike which hit a post. Mettam did well to thwart Greg Pick on the rebound but the danger remained.
And failure to nullify the threat would result in Will Weldon producing the finishing touch amid a scramble.
It was clarly a blow to Bees’ chances – but just 35 seconds later and the Phantoms were celebrating again.
Craig Scott would lead a break away down the right, and with the opposition stretched, had the time needed to pick out a pass and send Marc Levers through on goal.
Mettam tried hard to close the gaps available, but his opponent would confidently stroke the puck into the corner after a deft deke.
Smital saw an opening denied by a deflection as his charges went in search of a way back into the contest, with Antonov thwarted by Auzins not long after.
Robbie Ferrara for the Phantoms and team-mate Levers fell into penalty trouble for roughing and diving respectively and were subsequently binned for minors – as was Smital for a trip, but neither side could capitalise.
Yet when Galazzi was penalised for holding, Peterborough had the game wrapped up.
Levers and Scott would combine to set up Baranyk to double his tally with a simple finish at the far post on 46:13.
“It is just that third period and that little bit of experience,” added Foord after Bees saw a game lost in the last stanza for the second time in as many nights.
“But at the same time we have got a lot of young kids and they are learning every single time they go out on the ice and that can only be a good thing to just keep developing and gaining that experience, because that is invaluable.”
