SWINDON Wildcats were made to pay for a sloppy first period as their excellent run of form was ended in a narrow defeat at Peterborough Phantoms this evening.

Owen Griffiths and Wehebe Darge both struck in the space of five minutes in the opening spell at Planet Ice as Aaron Nell’s side failed to pick up a point for the first time in eight English Premier League fixtures.

Jonas Hoog gave Swindon a lifeline in the closing stages as he reduced the deficit after a sustained spell of pressure but the fightback was a brief one as Darius Pliskauskas soon replied to kill off the tie.

The visitors were not helped by a spate of indiscipline in Cambridgeshire as they racked up a total of 10 penalties on the night, while both Tomasz Malasinksi and Ollie Stone were given extended 10-minute sanctions for checks from behind.

Swindon started positively and Max Birbraer had the first shot, which was pushed away by Janis Auzins and the Phantoms stopper than smothered an Adam Finlinson strike from distance.

Peterborough responded and Petr Stepanek flicked towards the Cats goal from close range but the effort ricocheted off Steve Lyle's helmet. The Cats netminder didn’t know much about his save either as he somehow thwarted Tom Norton's long-range effort.

Auzins then pushed away a strike from Nell on the angle but the Phantoms took control of the contest just after the midway point in the first period.

Ben Russell drilled the puck across goal and Lyle could not deal with it, allowing former Wildcat Griffiths to turn home from close range.

Peterborough then took a two-goal lead before the first buzzer sounded when they again made the most of a frantic flurry in front of the Cats net, with this time Darge the fastest to react to prod over the line.

The Cats needed a big response in the second period and they almost got one in the opening minute as Hoog raced in one-on-one on Auzins but the Phantoms stopper stayed big and kept him at bay.

Nell and Lee Richardson were also thwarted by Auzins and the Cats then began to lose their rag and were forced to play two men light for two brief spells as coach Nell, skipper Jan Kostal and Neil Liddiard were all sent to the sin-bin in quick succession.

That gave the hosts the initiative again and only an unbelievable reaction save from Lyle prevented Pliskauskas from making it 3-0.

Lyle then parried away a long-range effort from James Ferrara before Norton cracked just wide from way out.

The visitors finished strongly and a sublime Auzins double save denied Nell and Malasinski but perhaps Swindon should just have been grateful for reaching the second buzzer no further in arrears considering they racked up a total of 10 penalty minutes in the period.

Swindon were looking increasing desperate in the final period and although they flooded forward, there was no way past the one-man wall of Auzins.

One particularly impressive stop saw him flick away a strike from Birbraer before then denying Nell as he looked to pounce on the loose puck.

The visitors refused to give in easy and Kostal blasted agonisingly wide, while Sam Bullas’ powerful effort was straight at Auzins but again there was no way through the Peterborough rear-guard.

The goal Swindon threatened finally arrived with four minutes to play as Hoog finished off Malasinski’s good work but the Phantoms’ response was immediate as Pliskauskas lashed home their third to seal the Cats’ fate.