THEY may have been short on bodies but Leeds Knights were certainly not lacking in spirit during a tough weekend on the road in NIHL National.
Unfortunately, the Knights emerged from their visits to leaders Swindon Wildcats and Peterborough Phantoms with nothing to show for their efforts.
Despite taking a first period lead in Swindon on Friday night through Matt Bissonnette’s clinical finish, the Knights went down 5-1.
And after coming back from 4-2 down at Peterborough - for the second time in two weeks - this time the Knights found themselves edged out, going down 5-4.
It leaves Ryan Aldridge’s team in third spot in the regular season, but with Peterborough Phantoms now level on points, the Knights just ahead by virtue of having won more games in regulation - 24 to Peterborough’s 15.
In terms of the title battle, the Knights now trail Swindon by 15 points, with a game in hand. The teams meet this Friday at The Castle, the first of two remaining regular season meetings between them.
Friday’s game marks the start of a hectic period for the Knights, one bringing six games in nine days.
A combination of injuries and Great Britain call-ups left the Knights with a severely depleted roster for Friday’s trip to Swindon.
Captain Kieran Brown and fellow forwards Arturs Mickevics and Innes Gallacher were all injured, as were defencemen Sam Cooper and Jonas Bennett.
Centre Finley Bradon was at the European Cup of Nations in his first-ever call-up for GB, while teenagers Lian Hine, Daragh Spawforth and Danny Harrison were with GB Under-18s taking on hosts Hungary Under-19s in the Winter Challenge.
That meant NIHL National debuts for Frankie O’Sullivan and Helgi Bjarnason - called up from Leeds Knights 2, along with Tom Palmer, who was making his second appearance since arriving in West Yorkshire.
Having gone ahead through Bissonnette’s opener at 11.23, the Knights were quickly pegged back as Swindon took a 2-1 lead into the first break through Caden Villegass’ double strike.
The Wildcats added a third towards the end of the second period through Edgars Bebris 37.17, while Ed Bradley put them further ahead at 42.31.
Owen Griffiths made sure of the points with a power play strike at 53.27.
In Peterborough, captain Brown marked his return to the line-up after missing the previous five games by firing the Knights ahead with just 95 seconds gone.
Tom Norton and Cameron Hough then got the hosts 2-1 ahead after 22 minutes, before the Knights #12 levelled with his second of the night at 33.01.
Dillon Lawrence and Luke Ferrara hit back to ensure the Phantoms took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission but strikes within 12 seconds of each other by Sam Dunn and Owen Sobchak hauled Leeds level with less than three minutes of the third period gone.
But a breakaway for Morgan Clarke-Pizzo saw him put the hosts ahead for a third time at 48.38 - a one-goal lead which proved beyond the Knights.
