IT WAS a hard defeat for Swindon Wildcats head coach Ryan Aldridge to swallow tonight as he saw his side slip to a 5-3 defeat against Telford Tigers.

Aldridge admitted he had mixed emotions after what was a physical encounter with the league leaders, but admitted he took pleasure from seeing the team who have splashed a the cash on their side having to change their tactics to accommodate Swindon.

The Cats had already tamed the Tigers twice this season but they could not do it for a third time, in a game which lacked any real flow to it.

Telford came out hard from the off and left Swindon a bit shell-shocked after two quick goals in the space of 20 seconds from Nathan Salem and Joe Miller gave the visitors a two goal lead after four minutes.

Aaron Nell and Tomasz Malasinski pulled back the deficit in the second period but strikes from Jason Silverthorn and Blahoslav Novak either side of the second break restored the visitor’s two goal cushion.

It looked like a grandstand finish when young Tomasz Rutkis halved the deficit with two minutes remaining but with Stevie Lyle pulled to give the Cats an extra man Maxim Birbraer was able to score into an empty net to seal the first back-to-back defeats for Swindon since October.

“We knew they were going to come hard,” said Aldridge after the match.

“The first goal probably got us shell-shocked because Stevie couldn’t see the shot and not many people would have taken the shot and it just happened off the post and in.

“The second goal was more frustrating than the first one. The first one was just shot through traffic, the second one was a soft play and that is why I wanted to call a time-out but luckily it was a break in play so I was able to pull the guys in for a little chat.

“It was two quick goals and it can’t happen so quick.

"I thought their goalie played outstanding tonight,"

"A couple of the goals I was disappointed with, even the last one into the empty net when I thought we just gave up on the play.

"It is tough to swallow because I thought, on the most part, we played pretty well.

"They came hard and they wanted revenge for the games where we have beaten them so they got what they deserved I guess.

“I think they had to (change their style) because we beat them twice and I thought we were a little bit flat in areas tonight and you have got to take the rough with the smooth and you can’t win them all.

“They played four lines tonight and I don’t think there is any other team in the league that can afford to play four lines but that is not taking anything away from them.”

Swindon now travel to Bracknell Bees tomorrow night hoping to avenge their defeat to them last Sunday.