TWO goals in 20 third-period seconds ended Swindon Wildcats’ amazing winning run as they were beaten by Guildford Flames at the Link Centre.

Cats have won each of their previous ten matches – a run dating back to mid-November – but found Saturday’s clash against Flames one hurdle too many.

Henri Sandvik’s early strike had put Cats in control in the first period but they were unable to extend that in the second in the face of a sublime display from Flames keeper James Hadfield.

It was almost inveitable that those missed opportunites would see the hosts come unstuck in the third, and Swindon were stunned as Marcus Kristoffersson and David Savage both struck in quick succession to turn the game around.

Kristoffersson then putting the icing on the cake for Flames in the final minute as the hosts flooded forwards in search of a leveller.

The two sides were evenly matched early on as each tried to dictate the play. Both keepers were called into regular action throughout the first period, with Cats’ Stevie Lyle in particularly impressive form.

Swindon gradually began to get a grip on proceedings and Sandvik broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when he fired through a crowd of bodies and past Hadfield.

Aaron Nell thought he had doubled Swindon’s advantage with less than two minutes left on the clock when he pounced from close range only to be kept at bay by Hadfield’s lightning reactions.

Guildford should have levelled the scores in the early stages of the second period when Vladimir Kutny raced in unopposed on Lyle but the Cats keeper stood firm to keep him at bay.

Flames were now in the ascendancy and Andy McKinney was only denied an equaliser by the post after a sublime strike from distance.

Cats heeded the warning a quickly began to reapply pressure themselves. Aaron Nell and Tomasz Malasinksi both threatened a second goal in the space of a few seconds but were denied by Hadfield each time as the hosts held onto their narrow advantage at the end of the second period.

The Cats were then stunned by a quickfire double as the final period got under way, with Flames finding the net twice in 20 seconds to turn the game on its head.

Firstly, Kristoffersson tucked home from close range after a rapid Guildford break just before the 44-minute mark, while Savage fired Flames ahead as soon as the action got back under way.

Swindon swiftly rallied and Nell was denied a leveller twice in quick succession by Hadfield as the host raced forwards at every opportunity.

But that tactic left the home side exposed in defence and Kristoffersson wrapped up the win for Guildford in the final minute as he found the unguarded Cats net from long distance.