TWO Bracknell Bees players made early visits to the locker room after being penalised during the 8-4 defeat by Basingstoke Bison at The Hive on Sunday, writes Dave Wright.

Frankie Bakrlik received a match penalty for his checking to the head offence late in the second period.

And Ben Ealey-Newman was ejected in the final minute after receiving a game penalty for misconduct – his second of the evening – on the back of a slashing offence.

With Ealey-Newman accruing 34 and Bakrlik 25, Bees finished on a total of 79 penalty minutes, so, all in all, not a good night for the team, who were also guilty of making errors that were punished by the visitors.

Whilst there must be a question mark over the team’s disciplinary record – only Streatham have picked up more penalty minutes in NIHL Division One South – the performance of referee Stephen Matthews also has to be called into question, and not for the first time as far as Bees fans were concerned.

However, it was an entertaining game with both sides committed to attack with Bees getting in 28 shots at goal, two fewer than Bison.

The goal which will be remembered the most, at least by a Bracknell player, was the one that came from Luke Jackson, as it was the 18-year-old defender’s first goal in 28 league appearances for the club. He was later rewarded with the man-of-the-match award.

Jackson struck midway through the second period and pulled Bees’ deficit back to 4-2.

Josh Martin had given his side a ninth-minute lead with a power-play goal, but Bison turned the game around with goals from Dan Davies, in the 10th and 21st minutes, Kurt Reynolds (19th) and Aaron Connolly with a power-play goal in the 28th minute.

Connolly went on to complete a hat-trick in the second period, the second also coming when Bees were a man short.

Skipper Matt Foord and Bakrlik, with his 30th goal of the season, netted for the hosts, but table-topping Bison always appeared to have something in hand and Tomas Karpov and Stuart Mogg took their side’s tally to eighth.

It was the first time this year, Bracknell had conceded eight goals in a game.

Bees had produced a much better performance on Saturday when winning 3-2 at MK Thunder with a disciplined performance that saw them concede just four penalty minutes.

Shaun Thompson and Callum Best put them two goals up inside the opening 17 minutes.

Tom Carlon pulled one back after 28 minutes before Bakrlik, his side’s man of the match, added Bracknell’s third in the 44th minute.

Two minutes later, Carlon scored again, but the visitors held on to secure their 12th league win of the season.

Scott Spearing’s men move back into fourth place in the table, exchanging places with London Raiders who have played a game fewer. And it is the Raiders who are the visitors to the Hive this Sunday (6pm).

On Saturday they make the short trip down the M4 to play third-in-the-table Swindon Wildcats (6.15pm).

  • BRACKNELL Hornets secured an impressive 5-1 victory at Swindon Wildcats 2nds in National Ice Hockey League Two South.

Danny Hughes fired Bees in front on 6:34 before team-mate Matt Jordan picked up a two-minute penalty for tripping.

The home side capitalised by drawing level soon after to make it 1-1 in the first period.

But Hornets went back in front at the start of the second period with an Adam Bicknell strike.

Bicknell, though, also received a two-minute penalty soon after for hooking before Jack Tarczycki also left the ice for the same offence, quickly followed by a Wildcats opponent.

Swindon then lost another player for slashing as Hornets ended the second period with a slender 2-1 lead.

However, Sean Scarborough put Hornets in command in the final period with a goal timed at 49:12 to put the visitors 3-1 up.

Hornets did not have to wait long for another goal either as Connor Hutchinson added a fourth at 51:33.

Wildcats then incurred a two-minute penalty for having too many players on the ice and Hornets cashed in when Harvey Hind-Pitcher fired the puck into the Wildcats net on 52:48 to seal a comfortable win for the visitors.

Hornets return to The Hive this Saturday when they host Solent Devils (6pm).