SWINDON Wildcats player-coach Aaron Nell blamed a first-period lapse in concentration as they tasted defeat in pre-season for the first time on Sunday, away to Bracknell Bees.

Three goals in less than five first-period minutes from the hosts left Swindon with a mountain to climb in the next two periods.

Despite a brace from Chris Jones and a late Toms Rutkis effort, Swindon were dealt their first blow as they eventually went down 5-3 away from home.

However, Nell saw enough in the last two periods of the game to leave him optimistic.

“It was a tough game and we went missing for five minutes and they punished us,” he said.

“We started the game okay and then they got that first goal which was a goal we couldn’t really avoid and then they went bang, bang, two and three.

“It was obviously disappointing but in the second and third period it was much better and we came back into the game.

“We pressured them a lot harder and we started turning over pucks, which was important.

“The result is not the big thing right now, it’s about learning and being ready for the start of the season.”

With two weeks to go before Swindon raise the curtain on their league season at home to Milton Keynes Thunder, Nell is happy with what he has seen from the first weekend of pre-season, and knows there will be more to come from his side before their National League One South campaign gets under way.

“We’re looking to improve again,” he said.

“We are trying to change a few things and everything is about going towards that first game now and getting used to playing together and different lines and getting our fitness up.

“There’s a couple, like myself, who haven’t played for a long time and we need a little longer to get going.

“The one thing I’m really happy with is that we scored seven goals at the weekend and we had six different goal scorers and I think that is a big plus point.

“The young guys who have been on the ice a bit more this summer were really flying and as we play more games, we’ll all catch up and I’m really happy with the team we’ve got.

“That’s why we have done the two weeks for pre-season and we’ll be ready for that first league game.”