BASINGSTOKE Bison opened their season with a great 3-2 overtime victory against the visiting Peterborough Phantoms last night.

However, as it was the first leg of the Billy Glover Memorial Cup, overtime was only played for match practice, the sides will start this evening’s second leg with the score at 2-2.

Before the game started on Saturday night, there was a minute’s applause for Keith Hope who sadly passed away during the summer. He was the Bison’s match time keeper for many seasons, as well as being a stalwart of the junior club.

The Bison with new signings Olly Stone and Bayley Harewood along with returnee Ryan Sutton in their line-up took the lead in the contest on the first powerplay of the night.

Tom Norton departed for charging and after Adam Harding had gone close, Michael Klejna scored from a nice feed from man of the match Ashley Tait at 3:20.

The home side had the better of the early part of the opening session, before the visitors thanks to Alex Padelek and Petr Stepanek

tested Bison netminder Dan Weller-Evans.

With 32 seconds left in the period, the first fight of the season saw Bison’s Liam Morris take exception to a hit from Norton and both received four minutes for fighting.

In the second session, the home side looked to increase their lead with Harding and Oscar Evans forcing saves from Jordan Marr, before Norton’s shot hit the post, the closest the visitors had got so far, but the Herd remained in front going in at the second break.

The Phantoms levelled things at 47:26 as their man of the match James Ferrera netted a Joe Gretton rebound.

Two minutes later and with Klejna in the sin bin for tripping, the visitors make the most of the extra man, as Ferrera grabbed his second of the night, slotting home from Will Weldon.

The home side went looking for an equaliser and their cause was helped by a penalty on Stepanek at 55:36.

However, Peterborough killed off the penalty and then with 17 seconds left in the contest, Tait set up Alex Sampford to tie the game at 2-2.

Being a two-legged weekend, there was no need for overtime, but the teams played it for match practice.

Both sides had their chances, before Bison’s Richard Bordowski came up with the winner at 64:41, with a great solo strike.