Shock victory boosts GB’s medal chances

Paul Thompson’s side went into the tournament looking to clinch at least a bronze medal in Kiev but could now possibly better the third place they achieved in Poland two years ago.

Their task gets no easier today, however, as they take on Kazakhstan, ranked 17th in the world and one place above the Ukraine – who themselves are five places above GB.

Ukraine took the lead on a 5-on-3 power play at 11.40 when captain Olexander Pobyedonostsev blasted a drive past Stephen Murphy’s left skate.

That’s how it stayed until the second when the underdogs came out firing, with their pressure quickly paying off when David Clarke levelled at 24.15.

The hosts were ahead again within two minutes when Oleg Tymchenko pounced at 26.12, but GB refused to lie down and levelled again at 31.11 when former Sheffield Steelers’ forward Robert Dowd slotted home.

At 36.22, Clarke put his side ahead for the first time in the match when he squeezed the puck under Kostyantyn Simchuk’s left pad. But the hosts were not to be outdone when Pobyedonostsev slammed home his second, firing in from just above the hash marks at 18.03.

In the third period, Britain jumped ahead 4-3 when Colin Shields scored his side’s only power play goal of the night at 43.05, while Oleg Shafarenko was serving a double minor for high-sticking.

And with just over seven minutes remaining, Steelers’ captain Jonathan Phillips added some insurance for Thompson’s team, who lost the corresponding fixtured 4-2 when the teams last met in 2009 in Poland.