AN OVERTIME Aaron Nell strike with just 2.5 seconds left on the clock secured Swindon Wildcats a second four point weekend of the season at Manchester Phoenix.

Swindon were handed the perfect start when Sam Bullas struck home and Jonas Hoog restored their first period advantage after Michal Satek had pulled the hosts level.

After a goalless second period, Aaron Nell doubled the visitor’s advantage but it lasted just 15 seconds as Stanislav Gron pulled the hosts back to within one, before Richard Bentham took the game to overtime with 20 seconds remaining.

Nell warned his players against having the same slow start they had against Hull Pirates on Saturday evening and the players took notice as they took the lead less than three minutes in.

Corey McEwen saw his shot from the right deflected and Bullas was on hand at the back stick to fire Swindon ahead.

After that Stevie Lyle’s goal came under some intense pressure as the hosts looked to find a way back into the game.

The Swindon stopped did well to keep them at bay, but in the 10th minute his defence was breached as Carlo Finucci saw his cross-goal pass cut out and it fell kindly to Satek who made no mistake one-on-one with Lyle.

The hosts continued to dominate, with their first line causing the visitors problems, but Swindon dug in and were rewarded three minutes prior to the break.

With Finucci in the bin for slashing, Harvey Stead sent the puck long down the ice and Hoog was able to pick up the loose puck unmarked and after cutting inside he beat Stephen Fone one-on-one.

Both sides started the second period with four skaters as Bullas and Satek were pinned for an altercation as they left the ice.

Both sides had their stoppers to thank for the scores remaining the same by the 40 minute mark as neither netminder looked in the mood to be beat.

Finucci went the closest for Swindon to extending their advantage four minutes before the break as he looked certain to score at the back post but he lifted his shot and Fone produced cat-like reflexes to deny him with his left glove.

The scoreline made for a tense final period but Nell went some way to dispelling the nerves as he fired home in front of Fone’s goal in the 48th minute.

The respite was short-lived however, as, after a break to fix a broken door at the Deeside rink, Gron drove down the other end and fired past a hapless Lyle.

Swindon looked to have done enough to claim two points in normal time but after a re-start in the Swindon zone the puck dropped for Bentham to fire home with 20 seconds remaining.

In an end-to-end five minutes of overtime, Swindon had Lyle to thank after pulling off a fine save to deny Nico Aaltonen and then with the game looking set for penalties player/coach Nell picked up the loose puck in front of goal and lifted it past Fone.

Wildcats man of the match: Adam Harding

Phoenix man of the match: Richard Bentham