TWO goals in just over a minute in the final period proved to be a sucker punch for Swindon Wildcats as they fell to a 4-1 home defeat against Milton Keynes Lightning.

Corey McEwen opened the scoring for the hosts nine minutes into the second period in a game where the defences were on top.

Lightning hauled themselves back level five minutes into the third period through Blaz Emersic, before Adam Carr put them in front just over a minute later.

Lewis Hook scored with four minutes left on the clock before James Griffin scored into an empty net in the final minute to wrap up the win.

It was a first period for the defences to be on top at the Link Centre as neither side managed to find a break-through in the opening 20 minutes.

Jan Kostal had the first meaningful chance early on when the skipper latched on to sloppy play from the visitors but his shot was over Dean Skinns’ goal.

Swindon had to endure 18 seconds with two men in the bin but saw out the power plays with Stevie Lyle saving well from Jamieson.

When Emersic went in the sinbin for Lightning, Wildcats turned up the pressure and Kostal was twice denied by Skinns before a bit of show-boating from Aaron Nell nearly set up Carlo Finucci with a reverse pass, only for the Canadian to fire over.

Neil Liddiard was a rock at the back as he made some crucial blocks and Skinns had to pull off a fine stop to deny Nell before the break after he was found well by Finucci.

Swindon came out of the break the brighter of the two teams but had to rely on their strong defence again when Liddiard found himself in the bin for holding.

However, with Liddiard returning to the game and Leigh Jamieson in the bin for hooking when Finucci was through one-on-one with Skinns, the Cats took advantage.

Swindon opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a team play that was started and finished by McEwen.

The 23-year-old showed some good stick skills down the left before Jonas Hoog took over the puck with a switch of the play to Finucci. The Canadian then squared the puck inside to McEwen who had a tap in from close range.

The goal sparked the visitors into life in the second period and it was back to the wall stuff at times for Swindon as Bobby Chamberlain and Markku Tahtinen both went close for Lightning, but Lyle kept them at bay until the second break.

It took five minutes of the final period before Milton Keynes were back level when Emersic found the net at the back post when he was found unmarked by Michael Farn.

Just 71 seconds later the visitors found themselves in front when Carr found the back of the net from close range forcing Nell to call a time-out.

Hook all but wrapped up the game in the 56th minute when he was quickest to react to a loose puck to fire home after Liddiard had wiped out Carr with a slide challenge that looked more at home in football.

With Swindon pushing for a way back into the game they pulled Lyle and Farn found himself in the bin for hooking, but it was the visitors who wrapped up the win when Griffin scored into an empty net from the halfway line.

Wildcats man of the match: Carlo Finucci

Lightning man of the match: Bobby Chamberlain