A WEEK can be a long time in sport as Oxford City Stars found to their cost on Sunday.

Seven days after trouncing Milton Keynes Thunder 8-1 at Oxpens, Stars lost 4-1 away to the same opponents in a lacklustre display.

Their inability to clear their own defensive zone and link up with their forwards enabled the home side to dominate the first period.

Thunder took the lead after four minutes when Ross Bowers’s wrist-shot flew past the defence and netminder Tom Annetts.

Stars tried to get a foothold in the match. Mike Whillock and Joe Edwards both had good chances, but found home netminder David Wride on his game.

The visitors ended the period with Jake Florey and Dominic Hopkins in the penalty box, but they held out.

Darren Elliott had a good chance to equalise before Stars’ Alan Green was assessed a penalty for hooking.

Green disputed the call and was given a further ten-minute penalty for his protestations.

The home side doubled their lead when Hallden Barnes-Garner finished off good work by Jakub Klima and Tom Mboya.

Stars got on the scoresheet after 40 minutes through Jaroslav Cesky after elusive play from Edwards.

The final period started with the Stars in the ascendancy and Josh Oliver hit a post with a rasping shot.

The home side extended their lead when Klima played the puck from behind the goal and it ricocheted past Annetts.

Thunder wrapped up the two points in the 57th minute when the unmarked Harrison Goode was allowed to turn and place the puck high to Annetts’ right.

Stars will need to bounce back, with the play-offs looming, if they are to be taken as serious contenders.