Great Britain make their point in World Championship defeat to Norway

It was the culmination of two impressive performances by the Group B rank outsiders in Finland, who lost their opening game 5-1 against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

It looked like GB would be heading for a second regulation defeat less than 24 hours later in Tampere when they trailed 3-0 after 40 minutes but a frantic finale, which saw them plunder three goals in just over four minutes, stunned their Norwegian opponents.

“We started a bit slow and at the end of the first period we asked them for a bit more,” said head coach Russell. “In the second period we gave up a couple of powerplay goals, but found a bit of drive in our legs.

“As soon as we got one in the third period the momentum changed and we got the three goals. This team know how to ride momentum. They’ve got the quality of togetherness.

“I think that third period shows how good we are as a group, how we stick together and we don’t listen to the outside noise. I’m proud of the boys.”

Norway enjoyed the earlier of the exchanges with Rotherham-born Ben Bowns denying Daniel Rokseth, Kristian Jackobsson and Ludvig Hoff. But he was powerless to stop Andreas Klavestad’s pass towards goal that deflected in off the stick of David Phillips at 16.13.

Norway’s second, credited to Mathis Olimb, came on the power play at 26.39 an although Robert Dowd and Ben Lake went close at the other end the deficit was increased further when Olimb scored his second power play effort at 35.19.

Brett Perlini couldn’t convert the penalty shot awarded when he was obstructed on a breakaway but a few minutes later GB deservedly got on the board when Dowd scored on his backhand at 52.51 before, just 38 seconds later, Evan Mosey’s wraparound the net found Perlini to tap home at the backdoor. Just under three minutes later, good work by Perlini set up Mark Richardson to slot home from in front.

Overtime produced no goals, and it was the Norwegians who took the extra point in the shoot-out, with Scott Conway the only GB player to find the net.