Milton Keynes Lightning bounced back from the disappointment of a last two minute defeat to Bracknell Bees on Saturday to register a penalty shoot out victory at Guildford Flames the following day.

And with none of the top four sides in the English Premier League taking maximum points it means the title race is still as open as it was before the matches started with league leaders Guildford taking just one point form the clash with Lightning after losing on Saturday to Slough.

Bracknell were then defeated 3-1 by Swindon Wildcats on Sunday while Slough went down 5-4 at Peterborough Phantoms.

Saturday's game against Bracknell began at a fast pace with Peter Jasik forcing a great save from netminder Barry Hollyhead before Nick Poole tested Gregg Rockman at the other end of the ice.

The visitors took the lead on 4mins 3secs when Jasik fired in a close range shot just before Joe Baird was penalised for hooking. However Lightning were unable to make an impression on the powerplay.

Forty-nine seconds from the first break Michal Kanka set up Baird for a high long range shot which went over Hollyhead's left shoulder to double the lead for the Bees going into the break.

If the first period belonged to the Bees then it was Lightning began to dominate the second session.

Their early efforts were rewarded when Grant McPherson set up Nick Poole to come from behind the net and find a gap to score after 23mins 57secs.

An Adam Carr piledriver from the right left Rockman with no chance for the equaliser at 29mins 11secs.

With the shots equal at 18-18 each going into the third period there was still all to play for.

Lightning quickly found themselves a goal down after 43min 33secs when Jan Melichar supplied Jasik to crash in a shot from the left hand side.

But undaunted Lightning fought back when given a powerplay as Kanka was called for holding an opponent's stick – Mikko Skinnari fired in from distance, the puck ran loose with Rockman stranded and Greg Randall slotted home on 46mins 48secs.

There was heartbreak though for home fans when A Matt Foord rocket shot eluded Hollyhead for Bees' winner on 58mins 38secs. Despite withdrawing Hollyhead for the extra skater for the final 36 seconds Lightning could not get the leveller.

The following day at Guildford Gary Clarke put Lightning front after 1min 43secs and Daniel Croft scored the second on 8mins 27secs before Flames fought their way back with a David Savage powerplay strike at 12mins 33secs. Stuart Potts tied things up at 16mins 12secs.

It took just 4mins 42secs of the second session for Ales Parez to put the visitors back in front and two more goals from Clarke and Kurt Irvine gave them a 5-2 advantage at 32mins 42secs.

Rick Plant reduced the deficit in the 35th minute to make it 5-3 at the second interval.

Lightning were unable to find the net again in regulation time despite outshooting Flames 12-7 in the final period.

Taras Foremsky continued Flames fightback with a goal on 41mins 24secs while Milos Melicherik put them level a couple of minutes later.

With the scores equal after 60 minutes five minutes of overtime failed to settled the game before Toni Alasaarela sealed the two points for the visitors by scoring with Lightning's fourth penalty shot – Flames having missed all four.