SWINDON Wildcats needed overtime to snatch the win from the Hull Pirates in a 3-2 triumph at the Link Centre.

Mark Smith had given the home side the lead in the first period, but found themselves 2-1 going into the third.

Jan Kostal then provided the equaliser to take the game into over time before Sam Bullas completed the comeback in the 63rd minute.

Swindon started well and took the initiative in the opening period through an unlikely source in the shape of Smith.

He handed the hosts the lead after latching onto a loose puck, before firing through a crowd to score in the 8th minute.

Aaron Nell’s side continued to grow into the game and the first period wore on and were close to adding a second with Stratford, Kostal and Birbraer all going close.

However, the Pirates were able to snatch a late equaliser on the power play with three seconds of the period left, through Jason Hewitt as it finished 1-1. 

It was the visitors who were buoyed by their late goal at the end of the first period as they started the stronger of the two teams in what was a scrappy 20 minutes.

A dazzling drive from Bullas saw him beat his man, before being denied by Hull’s netminder as it remained all square.

But the hosts were made to pay for a penalty as the Pirates took the lead for the first time in the match when Nathan Salem poked the puck past Stevie Lyle.

The final period was a similar fashion to the second, with neither team really able to find their rhythm.

Phil Hill had a small sniff of goal when his shot on the turn was well saved with just under 10 minutes to play.

But the Pirates would eventually be pegged back when captain Kostal stabbed the puck home from close range after good work from Bullas and Floyd Taylor.

Overtime was less than straight forward for the Cats as Lyle pulled off a number of saves before Bullas stroked home the winner.

The Cats’ weekend doesn’t get any easier either as they travel to league leaders Telford Tigers for the second instalment of this week’s fixtures.