SWINDON Wildcats’ play-off hopes are out of their control as they fell to a third group defeat at the hands of Milton Keynes Lightning tonight.

Aaron Nell’s side fell to a 6-4 defeat at the Link Centre and with Basingstoke Bison securing a 4-2 win away to Hull Pirates, Swindon must win their remaining two games and hope that Bison fail to win either of theirs, with both sides meeting in Swindon on Sunday night.

Swindon took the all-important lead after 10 minutes through import Robin Kovar but MK Lightning were back on level terms five minutes later through Leigh Jamieson’s power play goal.

Milton Keynes cranked up the pressure in the second period and Swindon had no response as Jordan Cownie netted twice either side of an Anti Holli goal to put the visitors in the driving seat.

Swindon kept fighting until the final buzzer, with Thomasz Malasinki, Neil Liddiard and Stevie Whitfield all scoring in the final period, but a Blaz Emersic brace ensured Lightning were always on top.

In a must-win game for Swindon to keep their play-off hopes alive, it was a sloppy start from both sides in front of goal, with both netminders relatively quiet in the opening 10 minutes.

That changes in the 10th minute as Swindon got the breakthrough they were desperate for with their first shot on Przemmyslaw Odrobny’s goal.

Phil Hill set Kovar away down the right and the Czech international took aim for the far corner and a deflection helped the puck nestle into the back of the net.

However, Swindon were not able to hold onto their lead until the first break as Lightning struck back five minutes later to restore parity.

With Lee Richardon in the sin bin for holding, it looked as though the visitors had missed their chance, with Stevie Lyle pulling off a fine save to deny Scott’s tipped effort.

But, with 14 seconds of the power play remaining, Lewis Hook dropped the puck back to Jamieson who beat the Swindon screen and fired past an unsighted Lyle.

It was another haphazard start to the second period but Swindon went the width of the goal piping from restoring their lead in the 27th minute when Max Birbraer’s shot from the angle cannoned off the far post.

Less than a minute later, it was the visitors who crept ahead in the contest as Adam Carr battled at the near post for the puck, which squirmed under the body of Lyle for Cownie to tap into an empty net.

Swindon were architects of their own downfall as they fell further behind in the 34th minute, losing the puck in their own third before Holli showed the composure to fire home.

That goal opened the game up and Kovar tried to pull Swindon back into the contest but was denied by the frame of Odrobny’s goal again in the 38th minute.

And Milton Keynes looked to put the game out of sight before the second break as Cownie reacted quickest again, this time to James Neil’s shot, which was deflected into the path of the Lightning forward to fire home his second of the game.

With Jamieson in the bin for tripping, Swindon were able to claw a goal back in the 46th minute as Malasinski fired home from a central position, assisted by Hill.

Lighting restored their three-goal advantage in the 49th minute as Swindon were returning to full strength following a penalty for too many men on the ice.

Jamieson fired the puck into the mixer and Emersic was able to turn the puck home in front of Lyle.

Cats responded again in the 58th minute as Max Birbraer fired the puck into the mix and Liddiard battled hard in front of goal to convert beneath Odrobny.

However, with Nell having pulled Lyle, and Malasinski in the bin for hooking, Emersic was able to fire into an empty net to keep Swindon at arm’s length.

Another unlikely goal source in Whitfield saw Swindon reduce the deficit again with 25 seconds to go but it was too little too late.