TOMASZ Malasinski’s controversial late winner saw the Swindon Wildcats finally break down dogged local rivals Bracknell Bees this evening.

After seeing their two-goal first period lead wiped out by the English Premier League’s basement boys, Malasinski’s second of the evening, which sparked outrage from the home fans at the Hive after play wasn’t stopped for a tangle between Jan Kostal and an opponent wasn’t penalised, saw Ryan Aldridge’s men bounce back to winning ways.

Stevie Lyle beat away an effort from the hosts’ Lukas Smital as the Bees earned an early power play but after the hosts started the brighter, the Wildcats took the lead against the run of play as Malasinski got the final touch on Shane Moore’s driven shot from range.

Lyle pulled off two more good saves to deny Smital whilst Jonas Hoog and Aaron Nell combined well to set up Lee Richardson but his shot was charged down by Bracknell netminder Tom Annetts.

With just over 15 minutes gone, Swindon earned their first power play of the game and took full advantage in no time at all, with a swift passing move ending with Nell teeing up to crack home into the bottom corner.

Wildcats youngster Ollie Betteridge had the wind taken out of his sails after he took a heavy tumble into the boards early in the second period whilst in front of goal, Floyd Taylor and Hoog both drew saves from Annetts whilst the home side’s Samuel Waller fired wide of the mark from a great position.

Just past the midway point of the second, the home side did get a shot on target and halved the deficit courtesy of Radek Hubacek, who blasted home to make it 2-1.

After the Bees had Lewis Turner sin-binned for cross-checking, Swindon briefly switched out Lyle in a bid to snatch a third goal but, despite testing Annetts, the gamble didn’t pay off and the goalie’s spell on the bench lasted just a few seconds.

In the opening stages of the third and final period, Malasinski’s fearsome snapshot was kept out by Annetts and then when Nell sent Adam Harding racing clear, the Bracknell netminder pulled off another smart stop to keep his team in touching distance.

That save proved crucial as just a few moments later, after Sam Oakford was sin-binned for hooking, the Bees levelled things up, with Hubacek turning home Jan Bendik’s strike for a power play equaliser.

As Swindon set about regaining control, Kostal sublime first-time pass found the unmarked Richardson but Annetts was on hand to make yet another save, with the Bracknell man also keeping out a Nell effort.

Kostal then had a shot beaten away whilst Nell was twice thwarted as the Bees defence remained watertight but with around three minutes to go, the visitors finally made the breakthrough in controversial circumstances.

At one end, Kostal got in a tangle with an opponent and both players ended up sliding into the net and whilst the home crowd appealed for a foul, the Wildcats broke and Malasinski finally found a way past Annetts.

Bracknell’s Matt Foord was so incensed by the decision that he smashed his stick in two off the frame of his own goal but the officials remained unmoved and allowed Swindon’s winner to stand.