1:53pm Wednesday 8th April 2009
Blackburn Hawks have been relegated from the English National Ice-Hockey League after losing a 15-goal thriller away to Manchester Phoenix.
The scores were tied at two-apiece going into the game, with top-flight status at stake for the winners of this play-off second leg.
After trailing throughout, Hawks staged a spirited fightback in the final period, but it was Phoenix who clinched promotion to Division One courtesy of an 8-7 success.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the lads for fighting all the way to the end,” said Hawks general manager Andy Slater.
“They scored the seventh with about 90 seconds to go, but they just couldn’t get the equaliser to force overtime.”
After falling behind early on, Hawks were always playing catch-up.
Aaron Davies cancelled out the home side’s first and Anthony Kinder equalised shortly after, before Phoenix ended the opening period with a pivotal 4-2 lead.
The interval team-talks bolstered both defences, with only two goals scored in the second 20 minutes.
David Meikle reduced the arrears at the midway point of the game, before Phoenix’s Phil Hamer netted the first of his hat-trick to restore the host’s two-goal lead.
The final period proved to be a fitting finale, as both sides went all out for the win.
Rick Bentham and Hamer both grabbed two goals apiece, before Hawks’ Sam Dunford made it a one-goal game.
Phoenix restored their two-goal buffer, before Meikle added his second of the game.
Hawks’ netminder was pulled in favour of an extra attacker for the closing stages, but Phoenix held on for a famous win.
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