Why Leeds Knights should not be too down about early-season loss at Swindon Wildcats

The 6-3 reverse will have no doubt stung Ryan Aldridge and his team as they headed home from Wiltshire in the small hours of Sunday morning, but they only need cast their minds back to 12 months ago before getting too down.

For it was exactly five games into last season when the Knights saw their winning start to the season curtailed, going down 5-3 at Milton Keynes Lightning.

The defeat at Swindon, meanwhile, also came after a four-game winning start to the current campaign.

Essentially, there should be little reason for concern, given that the Knights went on to win their second regular season title in some comfort, much like they had the previous year.

It was Swindon the Knights lost to a week after their MK reverse last year, before going on a remarkable streak of 13 wins from 14 games, a run which laid the foundation for their second successive Championship triumph.

After a goalless first period at The Link Centre on Saturday, the Knights found themselves chasing the game in the second.

Matthew Barron continued his early-season scoring streak to cancel out a 22nd-minute opener from Josh Shaw but, just over three minutes after drawing level, the Knights were two adrift after running into penalty trouble.

A too many men had them under the cosh before Matt Haywood took a hooking call, Ed Bradley taking advantage on the subsequent 5-on-3 power play.

Less than a minute later, it was 3-1 when Aaron Nell also made the man advantage pay at 26.43.

Hope arrived in the shape of Kieran Brown when he reduced the deficit to one goal just 95 seconds into the third period.

But, as the Knights pushed to draw level, they paid at the other end, Shaw bagging a second in the 46th minute before Luc Johnson made it 5-2 shortly after.

Again Brown offered hope when firing home his second of the night at 51.22 - this time on the power play - but that was as close as they got, the Wildcats sealing victory through an empty-net strike from Edgars Bebris with 39 seconds remaining.