Snapped: Swindon Wildcats v Peterborough Phantoms

SWINDON Wildcats landed a huge blow ahead of an English Premier League play-off quarter-final clash with Peterborough Phantoms, comfortably beating the same opposition 6-2 at the Link Centre. TGtS was at the Link Centre to watch the squad in its winning ways...

With two goals apiece for Jonas Hoog and Aaron Nell, as well as further strikes from Jan Kostal and Tomasz Malasinski, Cats landed a comfortable win, with both of Phantoms goals coming courtesy of Marc Levers.

Swindon began at speed, going two goals in ahead before the 10-minute mark. Malasinski produced a ridiculous finish for the opener at 7.09, maneuvering himself around Janis Auzins in net for Peterborough before tapping home.

Kostal doubled Cats’ advantage with 8.39 on the clock, slapping in Malasinski’s assist, before Hoog netted a third goal for the Cats with under a minute left of the first period, gliding down the ice unopposed before wrong-footing Auzins.

The second session was a more balanced affair, however Swindon pushed themselves out of Peterborough’s reach at 29.58, Hoog with the finish high to Auzins’ right.

Phantoms pulled a goal back at 36.44 on the powerplay, with Levers netting at the back stick from Slava Koulikov’s pass, but Cats controlled the final period for long spells and restored their four-goal buffer with not much more than 10 minutes to go.

Hoog found Stevie Whitfield, whose shot was fantastically saved by Auzins, only for the visiting netminder to watch Nell bundle in the rebound.

Swindon contrived to conceded a second with 56.44 on the clock when, with a five-on-three double powerplay in their favour, they lost possession and allowed Levers a free run on Lyle, but Nell scored his second goal of the game a minute later, from a tight angle, adding late gloss to the scoreline.