FORMER Basingstoke Bison netminder Graeme Bird back stopped the Swindon Wildcats to 5-4 victory over the Basingstoke Buffalo.

Visiting Swindon built up a 2-0 lead, as Loris Taylor and Kyle Smith scored, before Warren Jones pulled a goal back assisted by Connor Hutchison and Greg Martyn.

The Wildcats made it 4-1 as Taylor and Smith scored again and just 15 seconds before the second buzzer Hallam Wilson pulled a goal back.

Nathan Chilcott added a fifth goal for the Wildcats early in the final session, before man of the match Ryan Sutton scored on the powerplay from Sam Dollin.

Then with 35 seconds left, the home side cut the lead to one goal as Matt Pitts scored assisted by Dan Lackey and Neil Leary.

This set up a frantic finale, but Basingstoke were unable to tie the game up.

The Buffalo are in action again on Saturday night when they travel to Oxford to face the Bristol Pitbulls.

The side's next home game is on November 29, when they entertain the Peterborough Islanders, where a victory would earn the Buffalo a place in the National League Cup semi-finals.