SWINDON Wildcats got back to winning ways in the English Premier League at the first time of asking with a 4-2 home triumph over the Manchester Phoenix tonight.

In a dress rehearsal for their two-legged Challenge Cup semi-final showdown with Manchester, Ryan Aldridge’s side racked up maximum points at the Link Centre, seven days after seeing their ten-match winning run brought to an end.

Tomasz Malasinski’s early effort was tipped over by Manchester netminder Declan Ryan before the home side swiftly took the lead during their first power play of the evening.

Jonas Hoog was allowed time and space to skate forward and the Swedish forward took full advantage, blasting home from range to open the Wildcats’ account.

As the visitors finally grew into the game, Joe Graham pinged a shot against the frame of the Swindon goal but Aldridge’s men went straight down the other end and doubled their lead through Aaron Nell, with Hoog teeing up his team-mate to make it 2-0.

When Manchester found themselves in their first five-on-four situation of the evening, Stevie Lyle pulled off a great save to deny the visitors’ player-coach Tony Hand whilst a Nell effort that took a deflection off Jan Kostal cracked against the frame of the goal as the Phoenix had Ben Wood in the sin bin.

Lyle made a superb diving save to deny Frantisek Bakrlik and when the same player eventually blasted into the net seconds later, the goal was disallowed by the officials, to the ire of the Manchester players.

Bakrlik was penalised for hooking Nell as he rushed towards goal and from the resulting power play, the Wildcats took swift advantage, captain Kostal making it 3-0 after he was set up by Adam Harding.

Early in the second period, visiting goalie Ryan denied Hoog with a double save before the visitors reduced the deficit.

Play continued despite Swindon disputing an offside call and Bakrlik eventually beat Lyle with an effort that somehow squeezed through the Wildcats goalie’s legs.

Midway through the period, the home side had Alex Symonds ejected from the game for a punshing hit from behind on Graham, who was himself forced off with an injury.

It was backs to the wall as the Wildcats were reduced to four men for the next five minutes, with Lyle twice saving well to deny Robin Kovar, but a dogged defensive effort got the home side through.

After Swindon got back to full strength, Manchester came within a whisker of reducing the deficit once again as Bakrlik’s sublime shot on the turn whizzed past Lyle but came back off the upright.

The two teams largely cancelled each other out in the opening stages of the third period before the visitors’ Bobby Chamberlain almost capitalised on Lyle leaving his goalline to collect a loose pass.

The Swindon goalie was visibly furious moments later, slamming the goal into the boards after Manchester made it 3-2.

An almighty scramble in front of the Swindon goal ended up with the puck squeezing over the line and Kovar claiming the final touch, with the officials seeing nothing wrong and leaving Lyle incensed.

But Nell swiftly recovered some breathing space for the home side as he netted his second of the evening, cracking a thunderbolt into the top corner of the Phoenix net.

In the closing stages, Hoog released Harding but he was denied by Ryan whilst the impressive netminder also kept out Henri Sandvik.