SWINDON Wildcats fell to a second successive defeat as Milton Keynes Lightning held on for a 2-1 win at the Link Centre.

Adam Carr with a close-range effort put the visitors ahead at the first break before James Griffin’s deflected effort at the start of the second period put Pete Russell’s side in control.

However, Swindon rallied and were back in the game when Aaron Nell struck midway through the match but were unable to get the telling equaliser.

Swindon went into the game without D-man Callum Buglass, who has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a dislocated shoulder.

It was the visitors who started brightly as Swindon were guilty of turning the puck over too regularly to build up any rhythm of their own.

They were duly punished in the fifth minute when Edwards Knagg tried his luck from the blue line, which Stevie Lyle was able to block with his legs.

However, the veteran netminder was unable to get a glove on the pucka and Carr was on hand to turn it into the goal whilst lying on the ice in front of the Swindon goal.

The Wildcats tried to respond immediately when Aaron Nell dropped the puck back nicely for an on-rushing Sam Bullas but Przemyslaw Odrobny closed his legs in time to deny Swindon.

Lightning extended their advantage three minutes into the second period when Griffin was given too much time on the blue line and his shot through a host of bodies was turned into the net off the leg of Stevie Whitfield.

Swindon were able to reduce the deficit on the half-hour mark as Jan Kostal created some panic among the Lightning ranks before Max Birbraer saw an effort blocked and Nell was on hand to slide the puck under the body of Odrobny.

Swindon were unable to level things before the second break and looked pleased to be heading to the dressing rooms to catch a breather.

Nell’s side came out brightly in the third and final period but after seeing out Max Birbraer’s penalty for kneeing, were unable to find a way past a determined Odrobny in the Lightning net.

Swindon called a timeout with 1 minute 33 seconds on the clock and pulled Lyle from the ice but Odrobny came the closest to scoring the final goal before a delay of game penalty against the Lightning netminder made for a tense final 30 seconds.

Wildcats man of the match: Sam Bullas

Lightning man of the match: Bobby Chamberlain