Two goals in the opening seven minutes sent Peterborough Phantoms on their way to a 7-2 win over Milton Keynes Lightning at Bretton on Tuesday – the visitors enduring a miserable night.

Bobby Chamberlain joined the list of absentees that also included Ben Russell, Mikey Power, Hallden Barnes-Garner, James Griffin and Sam Russell, while Tyler Nixon and Milique Martelly were again added to the squad.

Lightning were unable to find a way past goalie Jordan Marr until the 26th minute, by that time they were already three goals behind after Jasper Foster set up Callum Buglass for the opening strike on 5mins 59secs.

Buglass doubled his and Phantoms tally on the powerplay after Leigh Jamieson was sin binned for holding in the fifth minute – the second goal coming at 7mins 9secs from a set up involving Nathan Pollard and Morgan Pizzo.

Lightning’s cause was then not helped by two quick penalties on Sean Norris for elbows in the 12th minute followed by a return visit to the cooler for Jamieson (holding) in the 14th minute.

The latter penalty proved decisive with Ales Padelek beginning the move that saw Duncan Speirs supply Conor Pollard to send the puck past netminder Matthew Smital at 15mins 30secs.

Although Lewis Clifford’s team were unable to make anything of a penalty against Jarvis Hunt for boarding at the start of the middle session they finally got on the scoreboard on 26mins 15secs when Liam Stewart registered with assistance from Sam Talbot and Adam Laishram.

It was not long though before the home outfit re-established their three goal lead, thanks to Speirs, with the helpers coming from Glenn Billing and Pizzo. The same player was on the mark a fraction under five minutes later at 35mins 37secs to make it 5-1, with assistance from Bradley Bowering and Billing.

The middle period ended with the dismissal of the hosts’ Tom Norton on a spearing penalty following a clash that saw Talbot (slashing) and Norris (roughing) both end up in the sin bin on minor penalties.

The third period was more of the same for Lightning as Phantoms stretched their lead to six goals with a couple of powerplay goals. The first came on 54mins 7secs while Stewart was in the sin bin for cross checking and misconduct – Pizzo finishing off from Nathan Pollard and Scott Robson.

Further misery came just over a minute later after Norris had joined Stewart in the penalty box for boarding – this time Conor Pollard was the man on the mark at 55mins 37secs from Padelek and Speirs to make it 7-1.

When Norris capitalised on a powerplay resulting from the sin binning of Ross Clarke for roughing it was no more than a late consolation for the travellers – the assists going to Russell Cowley and Talbot.

Man of the match: Russell Cowley.