SWINDON Wildcats’ hopes of making it to Coventry for a second successive season were dashed as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Peterborough Phantoms.

In what was Ryan Aldridge’s final game in charge, he was unable to come up with the master plan to recover a one goal deficit from the first leg.

The first goal was vital and the Phantoms drew first blood when Luke Ferrara doubled the hosts aggregate lead, tapping home from close range in the tenth minute, before Lee Richardson pulled the score level on the night with four minutes of the first period remaining.

After a goalless second period it was Edgars Bebris who was able to put the hosts in front for a second time and that was enough to put a premature end to Swindon’s season.

The Wildcats headed into the game knowing only a win would be good enough having lost the first leg of the quarter 4-3 at the Link Centre the previous evening.

They were boosted before the game when Aaron Nell was deemed fit enough to start after missing two periods of the first leg with a suspected shoulder injury.

Peterborough looked the better of the two sides from the first puck drop as they looked to control the game with their one goal advantage.

Thomas Norton, Darius Pliskauskas and Donatas Klumeliauskas all forced Stevie Lyle into good saves with Janis Auzins at the other end barely troubled in the opening exchanges.

Richardson made a mistake in the ninth minute as he took his eye off the puck allowing Klumeliauskas through one-on-one with Lyle but the Lithuanian was unable to score with Brit adjudged to have slashed from behind.

Swindon had looked to have seen out the power-play but with just seconds remaining Klumeliauskas forced Lyle into a fine save but the puck dropped at the feet of Luke Ferrara who made no mistake from close range.

The Wildcats continued to struggle through the game with the Phantoms dictating the pace but when Pliskauskas was deemed to delay the game by chipping the puck over the boards the Cats pounced.

Jonas Hoog had the initial shot from just inside the blue-line which was blocked but, in the mêlée that ensued, Richardson was able to get the telling touch past Auzins.

It was a second half of few opportunities as Swindon started to find their more natural rhythm but failed to capitalise on the shift in momentum.

Tomas Kana, who was full of big hits in the first leg, could have considered himself lucky to be on the ice after appearing to lead with his elbow and connecting with the head of Baranyk.

Despite Swindon still needing a goal in the final period to get themselves back into the tie, Aldridge opted to leave his players to it during the break, standing outside for a large part of the break.

The tension was cranked up as the final period went on with both sides making silly errors but it was the hosts who seemingly put the game to bed in the 52nd minute.

With Kana rattling the frame-work of Auzins goal at one end it was the Phantoms were able to break and Bebris was able to get across his defender to fire the home side into a two goal lead on aggregate.

With Swindon desperate to get back into the game the pressure told when Kana was given a penalty for holding and his frustration boiled over as he abused the official and was sent from the game, smashing his stick on a metal railing on his way to the dressing room.

Swindon through everything at Peterborough in the final minutes, even pulling Lyle, but it wasn’t enough to get them back in the tie and Aldridge was forced to bow out with a disappointing defeat.