Basingstoke Bison found to their cost that Lightning have the meanest defence in the English Premier League when they were unable to provide an answer to Leigh Jamieson’s 13th minute shorthanded strike.

Lightning started the match without both Juraj Gracik and Adam Brittle, both nursing shoulder injuries, giving Ross Bowers and Michael Wales the chance to partner Blaz Emersic on the first line.
28/1/12

Basingstoke Bison handed out a 5-1 defeat to Lightning in what was their biggest defeat at home in more than a year and their poorest performance in a long while.
Lightning welcomed new import Tuomas Tikkanen to the first line. But although he showed some neat touches there is clearly work to do before gels with Blaz Emersic and Leigh Jamieson.

The size of the loss meant that Lightning finished the game having scored just three goals in three games.

There were chances for both teams in the first period but in the second session Bison were able to strike four times – twice on the powerplay – the first goal coming only 20 seconds from the restart when no one picked up Ollie Bronnimann skating in from the left.

Bronnimann made it 2-0 after 27mins 9secs – 11 seconds after Lewis Christie was penalised for slashing.

Michael Wales’ determination earned him what was Lightning’s only goal 52seconds later but Daniel Volrab was able to redirect a pass from Joe Miller into the net on 34mins 38secs before Sam Oakford scored from Steve Moria’s set up on the powerplay at 36mins 33secs while Christie was serving time for roughing.
Immediately that sparked a confrontation between Grant McPherson and Bison’s Miller with the MK man thrown out of the game on match penalty for roughing.
Miller had a hand as Steve Moria rubbed salt in the wound with a fifth goal for the visitors after 48mins exactly on a night Lightning will want to forget in a hurry.

MKL Goal

28.01 Wales, E

Basingstoke Goals

20.20 Bronninan, Volrab, Miller E
27.09 Bronninan, Chinn, Kubenko PP
34.38 Volrab, Miller, Chinn E
36.33 Oakford, Moria, Volrab PP
48.00 Moria, Miller E

MKL Penalties

16.35 Wales, 2 mins, dleyaing the game
26.58 Christie, 2 mins, slashing
30.05 Towalski, 2 mins, roughing
30.27 Zatopek, 2 mins, delaying the game
35.01 Christie, 2 mins, roughing
36.33 McPherson, 25 mins, game – roughing

Basingstoke Penalties

3.21 Volrab, 2 mins, slashing
30.05 Wiggins, 2 mins, cross checking
30.27 Miller, 2 mins, delaying the game
32.15 Chinn, 2 mins, cross checking
56.36 Harris, 2 mins, interference

Shots on Goal

MKL - Mettam – 11, 24, 11 = 46
Basingstoke – Wall – 8, 11, 7 = 26

Referee – Joy Tottman
Linesmen – Jason, Earl, Dan Beresford