EPL ICE HOCKEY:

Manchester Phoenix 5 Guildford Flames 2

Manchester Phoenix consolidated their position in second place in the English Premier League with a morale-boosting victory over champions-elect Guildford Flames.

Coming into the game on the back of a hard-fought win away at Swindon Wildcats, Phoenix were still without Slava Koulikov, although Tony Hand returned to the ice.

Phoenix failed to capitalise on a series of chances in an evenly-matched, goalless first period, but Juraj Faith finally broke the deadlock on 27 minutes. Josh Ward added a second for Phoenix just over a minute later.

Jaroslav Spelda grabbed a third on the powerplay for Manchester after 35 minutes, before Jozef Kohut pulled a goal back for Guildford three minutes later.

An altercation resulting in brief fisticuffs between Kohut and Faith saw both players handed 10 minute misconduct penalties before the game could restart, and the row continued as the players left the ice for the second interval.

Guildford reduced the arrears to one goal just 42 seconds into the third period, when Milos Melicherik scored on the powerplay, but Phoenix regained their two goal advantage two minutes later, when Martin Cingel grabbed a powerplay goal on 42.15.

Guildford raised the physical aspect of their play, and incurred a series of minor penalties, but it was Phoenix who found the net in the latter stages of the game, when Cingel bagged his second of the night on 49 minutes to make a 5-2 score line.

Phoenix player coach Tony Hand said: “After the disappointment of last week’s defeat at home to Slough, it was important to get back to winning ways. We were a bit careless in front of net in the first period, and Flames goalie Mark Lee was on great form.

“But we stuck to our game plan and kept our discipline and we were good value for the win.”