Ice Hockey: Short winner scorches Eagles

Manchester Storm continued their revival with a 4-3 victory over Ayr Scottish Eagles at the MEN Arena. Storm, unbeaten now in five games, started Sunday's match looking the more comfortable, but things soon went wrong.

First, with Storm's net-minder Stevie Lyle out of his goal, Jonathan Weaver scored in an empty net, and within the first six minutes Johan Silfwerplatz had put Eagles 2-0 up when his pass across the goalmouth was deflected into the net by a Storm defender.

Ivan Matulik and Mark Bultje pulled Storm level but Mick Jickling restored Ayr's lead. That advantage lasted 20 seconds before Russ Romaniuk equalised after a goalmouth scramble.

Three minutes from time, Storm were ahead for the first time in the match. Kayle Short won the puck in the neutral zone, carried it just over the blue line and scored the winner with a scorching slapshot – and there was no way back for the Eagles.

Nottingham Panthers recorded a 2-0 victory over London Knights at the National Ice Centre. Joel Poirier put Panthers ahead and PC Drouin sealed victory 60 seconds from time with his 17th goal of the season.

The Panthers netminder Danny Lorenz made a 30-save shutout – his third of the season.

On Saturday, the former Great Britain veteran Tony Hand scored his 1,000th goal in the British game during Dundee Stars' 5-3 victory at home to Hull Thunder in the British National League.

The Stars' player-coach, the only British player in the modern era to be drafted by the National Hockey League, went on to complete his hat-trick as his first-year side took another step towards the BNL title.