Phoenix sink Cats (From Messenger Newspapers)

Playoff Quarterfinal 2nd leg - Manchester Phoenix 4-0 Swindon Wildcats (6-1 agg)

2:17pm Tuesday 10th April 2012 in Sport

A FULL strength Manchester Phoenix booked their place at the EPL playoff finals weekend after stellar weekend performances from Steve Fone and James Archer.

Phoenix despatched Swindon Wildcats over two legs with a narrow 2-1 win in Wiltshire on Saturday before a second period blow out and 4-0 win on Sunday kept Phoenix in the hunt for the final piece of silverware.

Manchester will now face rivals Sheffield Steeldogs in the second semi final with Guildford Flames facing the Slough Jets in the early face off.

On Saturday, Phoenix goals from Slava Koulikov and Stephen Wallace were enough to take a slender lead back to Altrincham after netminder Fone produced a sparkling performance with 45 saves, keeping Swindon to a lone Jaroslav Cesky goal.

Phoenix then finished the job with ease on Sunday after Archer opened the scoring in the eighth minute, three goals in nine minutes from the home side ended any hopes for Swindon.

Archer bagged his second early in the middle period before a shorthanded goal from Tom Duggan and a second strike of the weekend from Wallace settled the contest leaving Fone to blank the visitors and put Phoenix in the final four for the third year running.