SWINDON Wildcats player-coach Aaron Nell was brimming with pride at the application of his side in their penalty shootout defeat to Milton Keynes Lightning last night.

Swindon’s side, who have been hit by injuries of late, dug deep to claim a point at Planet Ice before a Bobby Chamberlain penalty snatched the second for the hosts after a frantic overtime.

The point means that a win against Basingstoke Bison next weekend will secure a Challenge Cup semi-final spot for the Cats and Nell is pleased to see his side all fighting for the same cause.

“I’m very proud of my team tonight,” he said.

“Every single player gave it their all and that is all I asked at the start of the game.

“The only pressure we had was working hard. Nobody expects us, and this is nothing to do against my team; you look at the two line-ups and if the game was played on paper, there would only be one winner.

“I have never seen a team like that in the EPL but hockey isn’t played on paper and there will be some tired bodies in the morning but it is all for the good of the team.

“I’m glad their goalie (Przemyslaw Odrobny) won man of the match tonight because he earned his money.

“As long as my maths is correct, it is still in our hands to get through in the cup and it would be pretty sweet next week, going to Basingstoke and getting that win.

“That is all we are going to be thinking about this week, going to Basingstoke and we knew we had to get at least a point tonight.

“Two would have been great but everyone was excellent tonight.

“When you see how hard people are working, you can’t help but be proud of that.”

The scores were level at the end of the first period when Max Birbraer saw his seventh minute goal cancelled out by a James Griffin effort.

Lewis Hook’s close-range flick had the hosts in front for the first time in the 24th minute but Birbraer got his second of the game with less than two minutes left of the second period to haul the visitors back level and a blank final period took the game to overtime.

With Nell sidelined for the rest of the season with a dislocated shoulder, he is pleased that the Birbraer, who has six goals in his last five outings, is filling the void.

“Me leaving the line-up leaves holes goals-wise but Max has really stepped into that hole,” he added.

“I think he got one goal in his first 17 games but we knew he would turn a corner offensively because he is a good player.

“Now he is taking that load from me and he is getting big, big goals.

“I am not expecting him to keep up that level of production but it is big for us.

“Coming back from Peterborough, you wouldn’t have expected us to be in the position we are in now, but we have seven points out of the last eight.”