It looked like it was going to be another awful weekend for Lukas Smital’s side when they were thrashed 11-3 by Telford Tigers at the Hive on Saturday night.

The visitors made a fast start and created a host of early chances, and they took the lead in the fourth minute when a save by netminder Tom Annetts found its way behind the net to Ricky Plant, who quickly found Scott McKenzie to score.

The lead was doubled less than a minute later when Peter Szabo netted, but Bees fought back and Ryan Watt forced a save from Sam Gospel.

However Telford were dominating play and extended their lead through Jo Miller during a ninth-minute powerplay. Szabo made it four shortly after - prompting the Bees to replace Annetts with Alex Mettam - but the substitute was powerless to stop Max Birbraer’s effort from making it 5-0.

Bees finally got on the scoresheet through player-coach Smital who stole the puck off a Tigers’ defender and drilled home to cut the deficit.

Early in the second period Mettam made a good double save from Callum Bowley and then former Bee Ben Davies on the rebound, while Gospel saved well from Smital, Chris Wiggins, Matt Foord and Vanya Antonov.

Bees eventually made the most of their pressure, with Wiggins setting up James Galazzi to make the score 5-2.

However hopes of a comeback were dashed just 74 seconds later when Birbraer doubled his tally, and they closed the period 7-2 up when Jonathan Weaver fired home.

Things went from bad to worse in the final period, as Jason Silverthorn slotted a Szabo pass to make it 8-2, and the visitors extended their advantage even further when Davies scored.

The big talking point of the game came in the 48th minute when Tigers star Blahoslav Novak went down in centre ice, clutching the back of his leg.

Although Galazzi was the nearest player, he appeared not to be involved in anything, but, Telford did not think so and at the resulting powerplay, Owen Bennett was sent on and as the puck dropped, he threw off the gloves and jumped on the Bees man.

Before he was able to get away any meaningful punches, Wiggins stepped in and pulled him off, but Bennett hit the ground too quick for Wiggins to get any meaningful blows in himself.

The calls were obvious and easy for referee, Stefan Hogarth, who gave Bennett a match penalty for jumping Galazzi and Wiggins a game misconduct for being third man in.

As all of the players got involved in the push and shove, Mettam skated to centre ice and called for Gospel to join him, but the young Telford goalie declined.

With Bees enjoying five minutes of powerplay from the Bennett dismissal, Antonov fired over the bar, before Bees notched again when Smital fired a wrist shot from the left point, which was tipped home by Galazzi on the edge of the crease.

However Telford finished the stronger and rounded off a comprehensive victory with goals from Zajac and man-of-the-match McKenzie for a simple finish.

Sunday saw a better result for Smital's side though, as Bees finally got their league campaign up and running at the sixth time of asking, with a resounding 7-3 success at Sheffield Steeldogs on Sunday.

The visitors made an excellent start as Smital scored early on to put the Bees in front, and they doubled their advantage through Antonov later in the first period.

The Steeldogs hit back to level matters through Lubomir Korhon and Steve Duncombe early in the second period, but Wiggins goal put the Bees 3-2 up as they entered the final 20 minutes.

And Smital’s men roared to their first triumph, with Foord bagging a quickfire brace to put them 5-2 ahead.

The Steeldogs cut the deficit courtesy of a Korhon strike, but Antonov ensured it would be the Bees’ day with two late goals to seal the win.

The Bees travel to Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday, before hosting Basingstoke Bison on Sunday (6pm).