MATT FOORD was left “massively disappointed” after Bracknell Bees let slip of a two-goal lead against a Manchester Phoenix at The Hive on Sunday night.
Through early strikes from Vanya Antonov and Scott Spearing, the hosts looked on course to record only a second win in the last 25 outings.
The Phoenix, however, would eventually grind the opposition down and tied up the scoring through a Stanislav Gron brace before Martin Baranek hit the winner in the 56th minute.
“Obviously I’m massively disappointed because I really did think we could win this one,” said Bees captain Foord.
“It was a really good effort by the guys, everyone played their hearts out and it is just unfortunate. We had a few good chances and we didn’t take our chances when we should have done, then we made a couple of mistakes and we had to pay for that in the end.”
He added: “I thought we controlled the game for the first two periods.
“I think we got tired at the end but we still had chances and we just couldn’t find the net.
“We had a good (penalty) kill and hit a couple of posts, but it is just one of those games where we didn’t take our chances and it affected us in the end.”
With both sides having just enough players to ice only two lines, it would come as no surprise the contest became a survival of the fittest.
Bees were once again without player-coach Lukas Smital and defenceman Lewis Turner, who remained sidelined with a broken finger and concussion respectively, while Harvey Hind-Pitcher, Brandon Miles and Josh Martin were away with the Hornets.
But it was Bracknell who started the fixture at a ferocious pace, and having peppered the Manchester goal from the first whistle would take the lead in the fourth minute.
Vision from Jan Bendik saw the D-man play a pass from deep out to an unmarked Antonov lurking on the left wing.
Taking the time needed to steady himself, the forward skated towards goal before coolly slotting the puck between the legs of Phoenix netminder Steve Fone.
Alex Barker went close moments later as the home side remained in the ascendancy, but it would require two stops up the other end from Alex Mettam, keeping out Baranek and Robin Kovar efforts, to help preserve the advantage.
Manchester, however, would lose Jacob Corson-Heron to a holding minor in the 11th minute, with the hosts taking full advantage.
The power play was just seconds old when Foord picked up a loose puck on the Phoenix blue line, with the skipper driving a pass to the back door, where Spearing was hand to double the lead through a first-time strike.
Elation, however, would soon turn to despair for Spearing, who was ejected from the game just minutes later for a high stick call.
Although accidental, catching an opponent in the face as he bared down on goal and drawing blood left the officials with no option then to throw the player out, although a five-plus game was later changed to a match punishment.
Bees, though, were left facing a five minute power play, but produced great resolve and determination to kill off the penalty to much applause from those up in the stands, meaning they would go in at the first interval with the two-goal advantage in tact.
But such luck was out only seconds into the second stanza when a deft defection was enough to see a Gron attempt get the better of Mettam, with the puck tamely skimming into the corner.
Kovar and Mark Thomas provided the assists during a move which saw Manchester attack the opposition down the right wing.
It would prove to be the only goal of the session, although both sides did see opportunities to add to their respective tallies come and go.
Antonov fired over and Corson-Heron was denied by Mettam during exchanged chances before a counter attack led by Foord saw Fone pluck the skpper’s strike out of the air as he attempted to go for the top shelf.
Satek was also off target for the Phoenix, while James Galazzi was just millimeters away from connecting with the puck when Fone spilled a trademark Bendik drive from range.
The import was also wide with another chance before doing enough to put off James Neil when presented with a sight of goal.
The D-man only had the netminder to beat when receiving a pass from Gron, but was to steer the puck wide of an upright.
Manchester were lacking a cutting edge up top, yet it was a piece of individual quality which pulled them level midway through the final period.
The move was started by Satek, whose pass to Thomas was moved on to Gron, but his options became limited as he was forced behind the goal by the Bees defence.
But the Slovakian did brilliantly to retain possession and work his way into something of a shooting position, where he produced a stunning reverse-stick strike which flashed past a rooted Mettam.
Bracknell found themselves on another power play when Thomas was pulled up for interference, but the home side were unable to make the extra man count.
Yet when Tom Relf was binned for tripping shortly after, Phoenix completed the comeback.
The initial shot from Baranek on the blue line was palmed away by Mettam, but Kovar was quickest to react, turning the loose puck home with aplomb from over on the left side.
With only minutes left to claw back the deficit, the hosts duly pushed players forward, where Barker let fly from the blue line, but Fone was equal to the strike.
The netminder then took umbrage to a swipe when thwarting another opportunity, which saw Manchester’s Luke Boothroyd and Galazzi come to blows and miss the final two minutes for roughing.
Fone, for his part, was hit with a slashing charge, meaning a team-mate would sit out his penalty.
More frustratingly for Bees players and supporters alike, it was a fingertip save from the netminder which prevented Bendik from grabbing an equaliser with just seconds remaining.
The defenceman was on target with his effort from distance, only for Fone’s intervention to divert the puck on to the crossbar and away to safety.
“It is disappointing because it is a game I think we could have won, but at the same time they have got four pretty good decent imports and they took their chances,” added Foord.
“But I thought the guys worked super hard.
“I thought Metsy (Mettam) was great once again and I though Vany (Vanya Antonov) was fantastic.
“I think once we get some bodies back next week we could surprise a few people.”
Bees have another two home games this weekend, hosting Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday before Hull Pirates are the visitors on Sunday (both 6pm).
