Phoenix player-coach Tony Hand

Injury-hit Manchester Phoenix were without player-coach Tony Hand and forward Stephen Wallace as they went down 9-4 in Guildford.

Hand is on crutches after being hit by the puck on his ankle on against Telford on Saturday while Wallace has a fractured wrist.

“I’m hobbling about on crutches and there was no way I could even travel down to Guildford let alone play,” said Hand.

“It’s swollen like a golf ball and it’s the first time in about six years I’ve missed a game through injury.

“I’ve had an x-ray and they don’t think it’s broken and I’m just hoping it will settle down and I’ll be OK.”

Jaroslav Spelda was also missing for Phoenix who struggled in vain to contain the Flames.

Phoenix scored first period goals through Martin Cingel and Juraj  Faith but trailed 3-2 at the first break with David Longstaff, Greg Chambers and Andrew Hemmings netting for the Guildford.

The Flames piled on further pressure with goals from Ben Campbell, Curtis Huppe and Longstaff before Slava Koulikov netted on a delayed penalty to make it 6-3 going into the final period.

It was the same story in the third with two more goals from Huppe and another from Longstaff with Koulikov getting on the scoresheet again for Phoenix.