THE Basingstoke Bison’s first leg of their South One play-off in Peterborough was marred with controversy on Saturday night.

This after the home side scored a late equaliser with the net off its moorings, after the Herd had been denied a second goal for the same reason earlier in the contest.

Referee Tim Pickett disallowed the Bison’s goal, but gave the Phantoms’ one, so meaning the teams go into tonight’s second leg all square at 1-1.

The Herd went into the first game minus defenceman Joe Baird, while Peterborough were without forwards Darius Pliskauskas and Owen Griffiths.

The first 20 minutes was a very even affair with no real clear cut chances.

This was to change in the second session as the Herd took control of the game and man of the match Euan King had to be at his best to keep the visitors out.

So much so that head coach Slava Koulikov called a time out at 26:55.

Up until then, the home side had just the one chance, when Basingstoke’s man of the match Dean Skinns poked away a rebound from a Nathan Salem shot, before Glenn Billing could get to it.

Despite the time out, the Bison stampede continued, as Aaron Connolly and Tomas Karpov combined, but King made the save.

The Herd then broke the deadlock at 31:33, as Tom Norton’s cross ice pass was picked off by Josh Smith, who fed Karpov, who netted on the back hand.

Further chances followed from Grant Rounding, Paul Petts and Stuart Mogg.

The visitor’s then thought they had got the second goal they deserved, as Connolly’s pass was slotted home by Roman Malinik at the near post.

However, referee Pickett disallowed the goal as the net had been kicked off the moorings by the home goalie as the puck went in.

It looked a harsh call, as the Herd had to settle for a 1-0 lead at the first buzzer.

The final period of the game, saw the home side re-shuffle their forward lines and they certainly created a lot more chances.

Will Weedon robbed Elliott Dewey, but Skinns came up with a great save to deny the Peterborough forward.

Malinik then went close for the Bison, ahead of the first penalty of the game, which arrived at 52:02 as Leigh Jamieson was hooked by Dewey.

Billing went close twice on the powerplay and then with five minutes left in the contest, Nathan Salem scrambled home the puck as the net came off.

Surely this goal would be disallowed like the Bison one was in the second period, but no this one stood, despite the appeals of the Herd players.

A minute later, the visitors were given a great chance to regain the lead with a powerplay, in which Scott was denied with a blue line bullet.

In the final two minutes of the game, Malinik went close as the game ended 1-1.

So it is now a winner takes all clash in Basingstoke tonight and the action gets underway at 5.30pm.

In the North final, it was not so close as Telford won the first leg at home 6-0 over Sheffield.