Lukas Smital’s side were unfortunate to lose 5–3 at Peterborough Phantoms on Wednesday, before suffering a convincing 8–3 home defeat to Manchester Phoenix on Saturday.

They put up a brave showing on Sunday, but were eventually beaten 8–5 at table-topping Telford Tigers, and the Bees lie 10 points adrift at the foot of the table, with their faint play-off hopes diminishing every week.

Blahoslav Novak gave Telford an early lead on Sunday, but Sam Waller levelled before Max Birbraer put the hosts 2–1 up at the end of the first period.

The Tigers moved into a decisive lead in the second stanza, as Birbraer, Dan Scott (2), Rupert Quiney, Nathan Salem, Callum Bowley were all on target, with Matt Towalski, Smital and Danny Ingoldsby striking for Bees to leave the score 8–4 to Telford.

And although Smital scored in the final period, it was merely a consolation.

Bracknell started superbly against Manchester, taking the lead early on when Smital broke well and finished past Stephen Fone in the Phoenix net for a short-handed goal.

Chances were free-flowing, keeping both netminders busy, and with just over five minutes on the clock the hosts extended their lead.

Matt Foord forced a turnover and Radek Hubacek found Towalski with a pinpoint pass and the latter made no mistake in finding the net.

The Bees remarkably went 3–0 up later in the first period, with Pavel Strycek finishing well after good work from Foord and Hubacek.

However that was as good as it got for Bracknell, with Fratisek Bakrlik cutting the gap inside the first 20 minutes.

The second stanza began in disastrous fashion for the hosts as former Bee Shaun Thompson and James Archer scored to level matters.

Fone made fine saves from Hubacek, Waller and Smital before Manchester took the lead against the run of play as Jacob Heron netted, and it was 5–3 shortly after as Bakrlik grabbed his second. And the misery was rounded off in the final period as Bakrlik completed his hat-trick and Thompson and Heron also scored their second of the night.

Hubacek, Smital and Foord were on target for Bees to leave their trip to Peterborough level going into the final period, but goals from Slava Koulikov and Donatas Kumeliauskas consigned the visitors to defeat.

Bracknell visit Basingstoke Bison this coming Saturday (6.30pm) before welcoming Peterborough to The Hive on Sunday (6pm).