THE Bespoke Guardians Swindon Wildcats picked up just one point from four in a two-game weekend with Leeds Knights on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, a penalty shoot-out loss was all Aaron Nell’s team could achieve in a game dominated by injuries. Then on Sunday, the Wildcats were blown away by an impressive 8-5 win for Leeds.

The disappointing combination of results leaves second-place Swindon five points behind Telford Tigers with 10 games to go in the National Ice Hockey League.

In Saturday’s game at the Link Centre, Matty Davies fired Leeds in front at 5:54 before Swindon’s Tomasz Malasinski equalised in the 12th minute.

In the middle period, the Wildcats found themselves a goal down early on again when Kieran Brown scored his first of the evening at 20:34.

At 24:44, the home side tied the game up once more through captain Sam Bullas whose backhand effort found room above Gospel.

The go-ahead goal for the Cats was then at 30:46 when Balint Pakozdi converted a two-on-one breakaway thanks to a nice pass from Malasinski.

The second-period break came at 37:50 when an injury to Leeds’ Davies saw the officials decide to send the players back to the locker-room whilst he was treated, and stretchered away from the game.

After the teams came back out, Brown add his second of the game at 39:45.

Into the final period, Pakozdi converted a blind pass from Nell at 42:53 to make it 4-3 before minutes later, Ross Kennedy pegged Swindon back once again.

Another injury, this time to Wildcats netminder Renny Marr at 51:48 saw him replaced by Dean Skinns for the remainder of the game.

In the bonus period, Swindon dominated the puck and out-shot the Knights eight to one, but they couldn’t find a way past Gospel as the game went to a shootout.

Goals from Archie Hazeldine and Cole Shudra put Leeds in control, and with only Pakozdi getting the goal for Swindon, the Knights took the bonus point.

On Sunday, the Wildcats were second best as Leeds stuck eight past Skinns.

A horrible first two periods from Swindon’s point of view allowed Leeds to go 6-1 up after two goals each from Brown and Barnes were added to by Harry Gulliver and Jamie Chilcott.

Chris Jones netted in the first period, but the majority of Swindon’s goals came late on. Floyd Taylor, Sam Godfrey, and Malasinski all got on the scoresheet prior to a hectic final few minutes.

Cole Shudra added the Knights seventh goal, but with Skinns pulled, Pakozdi added a fifth before Gulliver slid the puck into an empty net at 58:50.