The Bees put in a brave display on Saturday but were ultimately defeated 3-1 by reigning champions Manchester Phoenix in their season opener at The Hive.

With both sides at full strength, the Bees had the better of the early going and were aided when Manchester’s James Neil was forced off the rink after giving away an early penalty.

Bees’ duo Radek Hubacek and Lukas Smital combined well to force netminder Declan Ryan into early action and Sam Waller had a chance in close during the powerplay.

However it was then the Bees turn to lose a man to a penalty but the Phoenix were also unable to make their numerical advantage count.

The game gradually started to settle down with each side creating chances but both defences stood firm.

Chris Wiggins, for the Bees, had a good breakaway and made his way past a couple of Phoenix players before his shot was well saved.

The sides then exchanged quick penalties to reduce the numbers to four on four but nothing came of it.

Phoenix then took the lead when Robin Kovar smashed home a powerplay slapshot from distance after a pin-point pass from Johan Burlin.

Yet the Bees piled on the pressure and found themselves back on the powerplay where some inspired play from Ryan Watt saw Ryan forced to save from the forward three times after good work from Smital and Hubacek.

Another breakaway chance fell to the Bees as a loose pass allowed James Galazzi to break in on the the Phoenix net but again Ryan was solid.

Just as the Bees looked to be getting a foothold in the game a Phoenix two on one breakaway saw Michal Psurny finish a well worked move.

The Bees hit back just a minute into the second period when Hubacek scored a brilliant solo goal, and his team began to dominate.

During another powerplay, Jan Bendik skated the length of the ice, rounding the Phoenix defence only to see his shot well saved.

The Bees were in the ascendancy and were limiting the Phoenix to shots from distance whilst creating several good chances through Smital, Hubacek and Wiggins.

The sides exchanged powerplays until - once back to five on five hockey - it was the Phoenix who extended their lead to two again when former Bee Shaun Thompson tipped in from close after a Psurny shot was saved by Alex Mettam.

However the Bees did not allow their heads to drop and another breakaway chance for Smital went close as his side fought hard.

After the end to end pace of the first two periods the third was strangely quiet in comparison, although the Bees again started the better early on, with Wiggins coming close after another good solo effort.

The Bees continued to press while the Phoenix seemed happy to kill the clock and seal the win, meaning clear chances were at a premium.

The Manchester side thought they had sealed the win but a shot was judged to have hit the crossbar and no goal was given to the disappointment of their players, who seemed sure it had hit the back inside support rather than the crossbar.

Yet it did not alter the result as despite some heavy Bees pressure late on the Phoenix held firm and sealed the win.

Forward Matt Towalski was named Bees’ man of the match, while that honour went to James Archer for the visiting Phoenix.

The Bees then fell to a heavy defeat against Telford Tigers despite taking the lead in a fractious and ill-tempered affair.

The Bees were at full strength and the two sides exchanged early chances at the start of the first period.

However the Bees found themselves in penalty trouble early on with Jan Bendik sitting out a tripping minor, and on the resulting powerplay the Tigers pressed hard and Sam Zajac rattled the pipework .

But the Bees saw off the penalty and with a little under ten minutes gone scored the first goal of the evening.

A Bendik shot from the left side of the blue line was tipped in front by first Ryan Watt and then youngster Vanya Antonov, the second tip steering the puck past Sam Gospel to make it 0-1.

Another penalty against the Bees put the Tigers back on the powerplay but Bracknell again stood firm despite the pressure.

The action settled back down with Telford having more of the play and creating more chances.

Yet the defences were on top, especially Alex Mettam in the Bees net - until with two seconds to go in the first period a faceoff in the visitors’ zone fell to Scott McKenzie who put a quick wrist shot past Mettam’s blocker side to tie the scores up.

The second period got underway with the Bees pressing hard but it was the Tigers who would take the lead with a powerplay goal from Martin Ondrej, with his shot from distance finding its way through a crowd and into the Bracknell net.

The visitors however had a powerplay of their own almost immediately after the goal as the Tigers new import forward Peter Szabo headed to the box for high sticks.

Telford kept the pressure up and a rebound was forced home after 31 mintues by Blahoslav Novak after the initial shot from Rick Plant was saved by Mettam.

The Bees fought hard to get back into the game and created chances of their own but Gospel turned away everything they could throw at him.

Another powerplay for the Tigers was given when Watt was called for slashing and as time ran out on the period it was the Bees with the better of the late exchanges.

Into the third period and two goals down the Bees needed some early pressure – however two penalties gave the hosts a 5 on 3 powerplay – but the Bees kept their opponents at bay.

Despite the visitors’ efforts it was Telford who extended their lead with a fourth goal with just over seven minutes of the final period gone when Joe Miller fired a wrist shot low beyond Mettam.

Things then became a little bad tempered, as Lukas Smital broke down the right wing and sent a pass toward the net, and when Scott Spearing tried to get on the end of the puck a goal mouth scramble ensued.

Spearing and Telford’s Marcus Maynard tied each other up and received two minute roughing penalties for their troubles.

Max Birbraer and Chris Wiggins then came to blows with the latter ejected and Birbraer seemingly getting away with an apparent high stick on Lewis Turner which sparked the altercation.

The Bees had a powerplay opportunity of their own with Szabo sitting a hooking penalty but they couldn’t find a way past Gospel and back into the game. Things then got heated again as Strycek gave away a holding penalty and James Galazzi and Rupert Quiney had words before shedding gloves and helmets and squaring off.

Two quick goals for the Tigers sealed the two points with first Ondrej finishing off a pass from Plant and then with Strycek having been ejected for an accidental high stick, Callum Bowley finished in from on the resultant powerplay.

The action wasn’t over though as Ben Paynter and Zajac came to blows with less than a minute remaining but the result was already in the books.

Man of the match awards went to Antonov for the travelling Bees and McKenzie for the home side Tigers.

Bracknell Bees will look to kick-start their season during a home double-header this weekend, against Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday and Milton Keynes on Sunday (both 6pm ko).