Swindon display title credentials

Phantoms were stung by a late fightback from the NIHL National Division leaders as they saw their hopes of a major Saturday scalp disappear.

The city team held twogoal leads at three different times at The Link Centre before succumbing to defeat in the final session when the Wildcats hit four unanswered goals.

Martins Susters made the breakthrough for Phantoms in the opening session and Ales Padelek doubled the advantage little more than a minute later.

One-time Phantoms playoffs winner Edgars Bebris hit back for the high-flying hosts, but a short-handed Petr Stepanek strike early in a thrilling second period edged Slava Koulikov’s men clear again.

Chris Jones and Bebris then dragged Swindon back on level terms before Glenn Billing and Tom Norton produced quickfire powerplay goals as Phantoms asserted again.

Those efforts meant Phantoms succeeded where all other visitors to Swindon had failed so far this season with the Wildcats previously possessing a 100 per cent penaltykilling record on their own ice.

But the city side’s two-goal cushion was cut with just three seconds of the middle period to go by Tom Rutkis and that effort provided the springboard for Swindon to turn the contest in the closing stanza.

The same man – Rutkis – levelled on a powerplay before two Jones goals, to complete his hat-trick, eased Swindon clear.

And they sealed the points

SWINDON

16.21 Bebris ass: Liddiard/Jones 29.18 Jones ass: Bebris/Rutkis 33.39 Bebris ass: Whitfield 39.57 Rutkis ass: Godfrey 46.53 Rutkis (PP) ass: Kostal/Taylor 47.35 Jones ass: Bebris/Godfrey 51.41 Jones ass: Rutkis/Liddiard 58.30 Plews (EN) unassisted

PHANTOMS

11.43 Susters ass: McEwen/Stepanek 12.58 Padelek ass: Billing

23.49 Stepanek (SH) ass: Bowering 37.03 Billing (PP) ass: Norton 38.22 Norton (PP) ass: Padelek/Buglass

SWINDON Toms Rutkis

PHANTOMS Corey McEwan

late on when Tyler Plews struck into an empty net after Phantoms pulled netminder Jordan Marr in a bid to claw themselves level.