PETER Russell lavished praise on his Swindon Wildcats and hit back at the snipers after the team bounced back from another disappointing home loss to win on their travels again.

Criticism was aimed at the coach and his players after another collapse on Saturday resulted in a 7-4 EPL loss to Peterborough.

But Russell got the response he wanted with a stirring 3-1 success at the Bracknell Bees' Hive last night.

"The result was good and the performance was great," he said.

"We played for the full 60 minutes and the boys gave everything.

"People gave us a lot of stick after Saturday but they've got to understand that this is a young team and the key to hockey is learning.

"We lost our mindset on Saturday but our response at Bracknell was fantastic."

Despite being heavily out-shot by Bracknell throughout, Swindon's Ciaran Long scored after 14 minutes for a first-session edge.

Matt Ford levelled on 28.41 but Joel Petkoff scored on a powerplay in the last minute of the second period, with Adam Brittle and Lee Richardson the architects.

Matty Davies gave the visitors a cushion on 51.05, from Petkoff and Jon Wheaton, and the Cats held on thanks to a superb defensive effort.

MATCH DETAILS Cats scorers: Petkoff 1goal + 1assist; Long 1+0; Davies 1+0; Richardson, Brittle, Janak, Farn, Wheaton all 0+1.

Period scores: 0-1; 1-1; 0-1.

Shots on goal: Bees 45; Cats 22.

Penalty minutes: Bees 14; Cats 12.

  • SWINDON npower Wildcats' hopes of recording their sixth home league win of the season were shattered as they caved-in again against Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday, writes DAVE EATON.

For the third home game running Cats' inability to hold on to a lead against the better teams in the English Premier Ice Hockey League was sorely exposed.

Cats had previously thrown away advantages in the final few minutes against Bracknell Bees and Guildford Flames.

In this game they led Phantoms 3-1 but then in a mistake-riddled six and a half minutes they conceded five goals in the latter stages of the second session and finally lost 7-4.

A dismal opening 20-minute period saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead at 12.32 as Maris Ziedins and Nathan Rempel combined for the latter to score.

Cats came out fired up in the second and, in the space of four and a quarter minutes, went 3-1 up.

Joel Petkoff's persistence was rewarded at 21.05. Then three minutes later a neat passing movement between the Canadian and Tomas Janak saw the latter crash the puck into the net at 24.04.

To complete the purple patch Lee Richardson added a powerplay goal at 25.20.

That lead was to disintegrate around the half-hour mark.

Phantoms netted a powerplay goal at 29.35 from James Hutchinson and 19 seconds later Latvian international Ziedins turned provider again slotting a perfect pass onto the stick of fellow import Rempel to score.

Swindon had a five-minute powerplay as Phantoms' Lewis Buckman was dismissed for a boarding penalty but failed to capitalise. But Peterborough went ahead as Ziedins skinned the Cats defence at 33.59 for a shorthanded effort.

Import Brent Gough increased the visitors' lead with a classy effort at 35.15 before Ziedins bagged his second of the game with a powerplay goal 37 seconds later.

Cats pressed forward in the last session and pulled a goal back through Matty Davies at 42.38 but never looked likely to salvage the situation.

Swindon's woe was completed when holding a one-man advantage. They were caught napping at 50.54 as the lethal pairing of Rempel and Ziedins combined for the former to notch his hat-trick.

Ziedins ended with six points (2+4) and Rempel four points (3+1).

MATCH DETAILS Cats scorers: Petkoff 1goal + 2assists; Davies 1+1; Janak and Richardson 1+0; Adam Brittle, Jamie Hayes and Jan Vrtik all 0+1.

Period scores: 0-1; 3-5; 1-1.

Shots on goal: Cats 34; Phantoms 39.

Penalty minutes: Cats 36; Phantoms 35.