RYAN Aldridge was pleased with the endeavour shown by his Swindon Wildcats players as they came out on the right end of an energy-sapping clash with the Manchester Phoenix tonight.

The Wildcats ran out 4-2 winners at the Link thanks to a brace from Aaron Nell and goals from Jonas Hoog and Jan Kostal but had to dig deep at times, particularly after losing D-man Stevie Whitfield to injury midway through the game.

Whitfield was taken to hospital as a precaution after taking a puck to the chest but his team-mates still got the job done, with the Swindon head coach also praising netminder Stevie Lyle for pulling off a string of saves in the first period.

“He (Lyle) was outstanding, absolutely outstanding. The first period, I thought he kept us in it. Although we went in with a 3-0 lead, it could quite easily have been 3-3,” said Aldridge, who also saw Alex Symonds suffer a match penalty for boarding in the second period.

“We just wanted to commit to defence because we know what our offence is going to bring. They (Phoenix) took two or three penalties early, which gave us a chance to get in the game, but I think we played the right system for them tonight and I was just happy that we got the early goals.

“I thought the boys did enough. In the third, we were two D out – Jani (Kostal) had to jump back in defence, did an outstanding job – but I thought the boys did well.

“The top two lines played a lot, especially in the last ten minutes. Jani played a lot because he’s played a lot up front and had to play a lot in D, so they’re tired tonight but we have to regroup and get ready for tomorrow (against Bracknell Bees).

“We had an injury tonight and a guy kicked out of the game so we’ll have to sit and think about what line-up we play tomorrow but it’s just business as usual; rolling on as we have been doing.

“I’ll probably wait until we get the all-clear (for Whitfield).”

Defensive player Symonds was ejected from the game for a punishing hit on Manchester’s Joe Graham but Aldridge thought that a match penalty and subsequent one-game ban was harsh.

The Wildcats chief said: “It’s just the way penalties are going. It started if it was a high stick – if you got kicked out for a high stick, it was a match penalty and it got downgraded if the player came back.

“Now it seems to be any penalty that creates an injury.

“We play a contact sport and if you get a penalty, you get a penalty, that’s fine, but to be thrown out of the game just because somebody hurt themselves; I think it’s a tough call.”

Swindon travel to Bracknell tomorrow (face-off 6pm).

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