A superb six points from three games in four days has put Milton Keynes Lightning breathing down the necks of the two leading clubs in the English Premier League.

Lightning are now just one point behind both Guildford Flames and Peterborough Phantoms – although the Cambridgeshire side have two games in hand on their two rivals.

Milton Keynes were only one of the top four sides to take maximum points from their weekend fixtures – Peterborough crashing 4-2 to Guildford on Saturday and then losing 4-1 at Bracknell the next day. Flames lost 3-2 to Slough on Sunday with Jets going down by the same score to Bracknell on Saturday.

Lightning meanwhile overcame the sticky hurdle of Ryde Arena by beating Wightlink Raiders 6-4 on Saturday and then overcame stubborn resistance to beat Swindon Wildcats 2-1 the next day. That followed the 4-3 win on penalty shots against Telford on Thursday.

With Lightning still to face Guildford twice more – once away and once at home – and Peterborough at home the title race has again been thrown wide open.

On Saturday Michael Wales was the provider as Nick Poole fired Lightning in front after 3mins 48secs at Wightlink – only for the hosts to equalise on the powerplay after 15mins 50s when Joel Petkoff supplied Shawn Mole to beat goalie Barry Hollyhead.

In the second period Lightning really turned on the style – smashing four unanswered goals by just over the half way mark.

Adam Carr set up man of the match Joakim Wiklander to make it 2-1 on 24mins 50secs and then the Swede and Carr turned provider for Gary Clarke after 26mins 19secs.

Just 13 seconds later Andre Smulter made it 4-1 from a Nick Poole pass and the same line was responsible for Lightning's fifth on 30mins 43secs. This time it was Wales from Poole and Smulter.

That's the way the score remained at the second break as looked as though Lightning were home and dry.

However they had to cope with a spirited Wightlink fightback in the final session which saw the islanders draw to within a goal of them by the 48th minute - including two quick goals from Tom Long.

Lightning went into the final minute of the game with two players in the sin bin but despite Wightlink withdrawing goalie Mike Brabon for the extra skater it was the visitors who scored as Clarke broke out of defence and fired into an empty net at 59mins 24secs to make it 6-4.

On Sunday Clarke was again on target to put Lightning front on the powerplay with a goal set up by man of the match Lukas Zatopek at 16mins 2secs.

There were no further scores until Swindon got back in the game with an unassisted strike at 36mins 7secs by Josef Kohut.

In an increasingly niggly game in which both sets of fans expressed their displeasure with referee Dave Goodwin the match winning goal came within the first 90 seconds of the third session as Zatopek supplied Poole to make it 2-1.

With neither side able to break down the opposition's defence again that was the way it stayed despite Adam Radmall getting a two minute penalty going into the final couple of minutes.