SWINDON Wildcats got their weekend off to a perfect start with a 3-1 success over Telford Tigers.

After a much improved performance last Sunday, despite going down 4-3 at Sheffield Steeldogs, Cats were quickly into their stride against their Shropshire visitors.

With only 2.26 on the clock, skipper Jan Kostal opted to give Sam Gospel an earlier test when he drilled the puck in from long range that the Tigers’ netminder was unable to keep out.

Wildcats were celebrating once more with five minutes of the first period remaining when Kostal played in his player-coach Aaron Nell to scramble the puck home.

After the interval Tigers had a golden opportunity to pull a goal back when they won a penalty shot with only 41 seconds of the second period gone, however, Stevie Lyle was equal to Phil Hill.

Having killed off two power plays earlier in the game, Cats went 3-0 up on 25.53 when some superb work from Jonas Hoog allowed Nell in to net his second.

However, the Cats player-coach then found himself sitting the penalty box when he was given 10 minutes for a personal misconduct which left the home faithful expressing their disappointment at the decision.

With the second period drawing to a close, Cats were given a chance to make it 4-0 when Hoog was hustled out in front the Tigers goal to win a penalty. However, the Swede, like Hill earlier in the game, was unable to take advantage.

Telford pulled a goal back with less than a minute of the second period remaining when Jonathan Weaver picked out Jason Silverthorn and he turned the puck home.

The third period was a scrappy affair with neither side managing to take full control.

Carlo Finucci and Tomasz Malasinski both had good chances to kill the game off for the Cats late in the final period but they could not find a way past Gospel.