JONAS Hoog reckons that Swindon Wildcats are back on song and only require an extra gear to hit top speed in the English Premier League.

Following a post-Christmas slump, the Wildcats were back to something resembling their best last weekend as they beat Manchester Phoenix 5-3 at the Link Centre on Saturday before being edged out 4-3 on the road at Sheffield Steeldogs on Sunday.

Sixth-placed Cats may have been leapfrogged by Telford Tigers last weekend but just nine points separate the top six in the EPL table, with Telford and Guildford Flames both just a point ahead of Swindon, and Hoog thinks that his team are set to motor on.

“This weekend, we were much better than we have been since Christmas. That’s good for us and we need to build on it and start winning more and more,” said the Swedish forward.

“In games like (Sunday), we should get two points, I think, but we’re on the right path through to next week and so we feel good in the group now.

“We did a strong first half (of the season), I think, and then we got sloppy after Christmas but now we start going well and we’ve been talking about it in practice.

“We stick to our system and it works and everyone’s playing really well.

“This weekend; we have the whole team playing well so, that’s why I think we’ve improved very much.

“We need one more gear and I think we could have a really good shot to climb the table, so I think we’re in the right way to get that gear and I think we’re going to be better and better every weekend now.”

Hoog’s thunderous strike brought the score back to 4-3 with just over two minutes to go in Sheffield but the Wildcats man was disappointed to see that late glimmer of hope go on to count for nothing.

He said: “Two minutes is a long time in hockey, so I have good faith in that, and we had a tip that could have gone in but sometimes they go in, sometimes not.

“You can (look back at earlier missed chances) but you need to go to the next period and work harder and I felt that we worked harder but they got some easy goals, so it’s a little bit tough.

“But I think we did alright and tried to score that last goal but it didn’t go in.

“When you lose, you lose. It’s hard because we should get more. It’s small things in the play that we didn’t do right and we got punished.”