Grant McPherson spared Lightning’s blushes after the team squandered a three goal lead to be taken to overtime and penalties against Bracknell Bees at the Thunderdome.
Lightning looked to be comfortably in control after Leigh Jamieson fired them 3-0 ahead five minutes into the second session.
But then Bees staged a fightback with Peter Jasik bagging the first of his three goals and the hosts failing to step up their game to regain the initiative. Even when Jasik finished off his hat-trick early in the third period Nick Poole’s outfit were unable to find the extra gear they needed.
Five minutes of overtime failed to produce a deciding goal and then, incredibly, 18 penalty shots were taken by the two teams before Scot McPherson shot high into the net, glove side of goalie Tom Annetts.
Home fans sat with baited breath as Bees’ Sergejs Louskins needed to score to keep his team in the game – amazingly he lost control of the puck and failed to get his shot away, giving Lightning two points.
The home side had gone ahead through Blaz Emersic, set up by Adam Brittle, after 6mins 30secs and the Slovenian added a second on 14mins 37secs.
After Jamieson’s goal at 25mins 20secs Jasik struck back on 28mins 54secs and then found the net again at 31mins 18secs with the third coming at 43mins 21secs.
MKL Goals
6.30 Emersic, Brittle, Farn E 14.37 Emersic, Norton, Line E 25.20 Jamieson, Carr, Poole E 65.00 McPherson PS
Bracknell Goals
28.54 Jasik, Thompson E 31.18 Jasik, Annetts SH 43.21 Jasik, Masa, Waller PP
MKL Penalties
31.39 Farn, 2 mins, Holding 34.51 bench, 2 mins, too many men 42.30 Jamieson, 2 mins, interference