JONAS Hoog struck an overtime winner to help the Swindon Wildcats get the better of Basingstoke Bison tonight and complete their first four-point weekend of the English Premier League season.

Swedish import Hoog had already appeared to have won the contest for the Cats when he hit the net in the final period, only for Bison to level the scores with 12 seconds left on the clock.

A goal in each of the opening two periods from Carlo Finucci and Adam Harding had put the Cats 2-0 up at the Link Centre but Bison hauled themselves level heading into the final 20 minutes.

The action was frenetic as play went from end-to-end as the contest drew to a close but, having already been denied the win once, it was the Cats who found the extra gear as Hoog found the net to the delight of the home fans.

Stevie Lyle was the first of the netminders in action, with the Cats stopper keeping Alex Symonds at bay.

Tomas Hiadlovsky then smothered a shot from Tomasz Malasinski at the other end before tipping over an effort from Finucci.

Cats began to up the pressure and Jonas Hoog was the next man to be denied before the hosts were within the width of the crossbar from breaking the deadlock as D-man Stevie Whitfield crashed an effort against the pipes.

The home side still had to be on their guard at the back and a huge save from Lyle thwarted Alan Lack.

However, Lack was sent to the penalty box shortly afterwards and it was then that the Cats took advantage. Captain Jan Kostal picked out Finucci and the import rifled a powerful strike into the top corner.

The goal stirred Basingstoke into life and they bombarded the Swindon goal in the lead up to the buzzer but Lyle pulled off good saves to deny both Shaun Thompson and Lack as their narrow lead remained intact.

Swindon started the second period with an extra man following the sin-binning of Declan Balmer prior to the buzzer and made the advantage count to double their lead. A powerful Finucci strike forced goalmouth scramble and Harding was on hand to tuck home the loose puck.

Basingstoke's Shaun Thompson and Finucci then had efforts well saved, while Corey McEwen flashed a drive across the Bison goal but Floyd Taylor could not quite react fast enough to see it over the line.

Bison then began to bombard the Swindon net, and although Lyle pulled off one unbelievable save to keep out Tomas Karpov, this visitors would not be denied for long and Aaron Connolly swept home from close in while the Cats were a man light following a penalty against McEwen.

The visitors continued to turn the screw and another flurry in front of Lyle’s net saw the scores level, with Joe Rand the man to finish the job for Bison this time.

Swindon had a big opportunity to get their noses back in front as they enjoyed a short five-on-three spell when two Bison men were in the sin-bin but the visitors put in a fine rear-guard effort to ensure the buzzer sounded with parity intact.

Cats went within inches of getting back in front in the opening salvo of the final period as Kostal cracked an effort against the outside of the post.

Play went from end to end but again the Cats went closest to a goal but there was no way past Hiadlovsky for McEwen after the home side had worked a good move.

The visitors then had a fine chance to edge ahead as Rand lashed into the side-netting but they were then under pressure when Lack was sent to the penalty box.

The man advantage allowed Swindon to gain the initiative and Hoog fired them ahead with little over five minutes left on the clock, poking home Finucci’s drilled shot at the back post.

Bison threw everything at Swindon in the closing stages and capitalised on the sin-binning of Neil Liddiard as Karpov netted at the death to send the contest into an extra five minutes.

However, the Cats were not to be denied and had all the attacks in overtime, with the decisive moment coming when Hoog stole possession before streaking forward and sweeping the puck past Hiadlovsky.