SWINDON head to Manchester for the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi final with it all to play for after they came from behind three times to draw with Manchester Phoenix 3-3.

The first leg of the tie was dominated in large periods by the home side but Fone was on fine form to keep Swindon at bay and the visitors were clinical in front of goal.

Swindon were boosted by new signing Tomas Kana, who had only flown in to the country the night before, but went straight into the roster.

After a delay of five minutes, due to Manchester Phoenix arriving at the Link Centre late, the match got under way and it began at a good pace with both sides going close early on.

There was an early penalty on Stevie Lyle after just two minutes when he got caught in possession of the puck and flicked it over the glass and was pinned for delay of the game.

With Floyd Taylor serving the penalty on the goalies behalf the visitors struck.

Bakrlik was found with time in a central position and despite Tomasz Malasinski blocking the first shot with his feet, the Czech player was able to beat his fellow countryman Kana to the loose puck and fired hard past Lyle.

However the lead was short-lived. In the sixth minute Malasinski was able to put Manchester under pressure to get the puck back on the blue line in the opposition half before linking up with Aaron Nell, with the latter finishing from a tight angle on the right.

It was a bit more of a cagey start to the second period as neither side looked like they wanted to go into the second leg with a deficit.

Manchester however did retake the lead midway through the half in a scrappy manner.

Lyle was drawn off his line and looked to have smothered the puck but Chamberlain was able to squeeze it under his body to regain a goal advantage.

Both Bakrlik and Ben Wood found their way into the sin bin following their goal and Swindon piled the pressure on Stephen Fone’s net but to no avail with the hosts finishing the period with both Shane Moore and Malasinski in the sin bin.

Swindon deservedly got back on level terms for a second time in the match but had their goalie to thank for it in the third period.

With Lyle being forced into two one on one saves to keep the Cats in the game they soon found themselves down the other end and Kana got his first assist in a Wildcats shirt as he found Nell at the near post to prod home.

Manchester thought they had taken the lead for a third time with eight minutes remaining after the puck hit the post and came off the back of Lyle.

In the aftermath Robin Kovar was sent form the ice after getting a ten minute penalty for abusing the referee before the officials awarded the visitors a penalty.

Bakrlik stepped up and tried to take the puck to Lyle’s left but the veteran goalie remained big and fell on the puck to deny the Czech player a second goal.

The joy of the penalty save was short-lived however when just 30 seconds later Michal Psurny put a hopeful cross across the goal was turned in by the foot of Alex Symonds.

Swindon travel to Manchester on Thursday, February 12, with the match level after Adam Harding was able to pull the game back level for a third time with just two minutes remaining.