Tigers fail to cash in as leaders hit back to win

Having tasted defeat at Basingstoke on Saturday night, Tigers were keen to get back to winning ways, but they failed to capitalise on a leading by three goals on two occasions as they went down 7-5.

After the game, a disappointed head coach, Tom Watkins: said: "Ben Norton was top drawer this evening, he made some incredible saves that gave us the platform to get ahead and for two periods I thought we were good for our lead. 

"I’ve said it before, when you don’t capitalise on a five-on-three power play opportunity it’s a real momentum shift and I think our level dropped in the third period. 

"We had some poor defensive zone coverage, lost wall battles and didn’t sustain much offensive zone pressure. 

"It was a difficult dressing room post-game, we did a lot of good things but Swindon’s quality, depth, ability to play 200 feet and their transition was the difference.”

Tigers made the perfect start to the clash when Eric Henderson broke in on goal and hit a wrist shot into the roof of the net to open the scoring after three minutes.

The lead was doubled two minutes later with a power play goal when Rhodes Mitchell-King hit a fierce shot from the top of the slot that went into the top corner of Renny Marr’s goal.

And it got even better for the hosts when penalty Brynley Capps and Tate Shudra broke away and Shudra was able to collect the puck and shoot high over Marr’s glove to make it 3-0.

An almost perfect period for Tigers was spoiled with just 15 seconds to go. With David Thomson in the penalty box, Swindon scored through Owen Griffiths.

But Telford regained their three-goal lead early in the second period following a fine strike from Thomson - his 50th goal for the club.

Swindon hit straight back through a back-handed shot from Griffiths that Norton could not keep out.

Tigers had a glorious chance to add to their score with an extended five-on-three power play but they could not get past Marr.

Swindon were galvanised from their successful penalty kill and narrowed the deficit further with a goal from Ed Bradley. 

In the opening minute of the third period, Harry Ferguson struck to make it 5-3 to Tigers.

With a two-goal lead, the hosts were in a great position but Swindon scored three goals in three minutes to take control of the game. 

Jamie Smith struck first with a long range shot that went in off the post, Ryan Wells tied the game and then Tyler Watkins shot over Norton’s blocker to give Swindon their first lead of the game

With eight minutes of the game left Swindon added an insurance goal from Tomasz Malasinski and there was no way back for Tigers.