Great Britain 4-0 Korea: Promising display at the Motorpoint Arena puts GB in promotion contention

Great Britain made an emphatic get started in their strive to go back to the absolute best degree of the World Championships after they defeated Korea 4-0 in Nottingham.

Britain, relegated from the elite degree closing 12 months after a four-year keep amongst the global’s perfect ice hockey countries, are company favourites to win their Division One Group A match on house ice over the subsequent week and acquire speedy promotion.

And they made the very best get started at the Motorpoint Arena, cruising to a relaxed victory over a handy guide a rough however restricted Korea staff and managing to preserve power for the harder exams forward, beginning with Sunday’s sport in opposition to Poland.

Britain had been by no means in risk of an disenchanted from the 2nd minute in their opening fit on Saturday night time when Ben Lake, contemporary from Belfast Giants triple successful home marketing campaign, scored from shut vary after a neat move from Josh Waller.

Cardiff’s Waller was once to help once more on Britain’s 2nd objective scored through Sheffield’s Robert Dowd and when Cade Neilson made it 3 from a Liam Kirk help simply 13 seconds into the 2nd length it seemed as despite the fact that the hosts would run up an enormous rating.

Great Britain put 4 previous Korea in the Division One Group A match sport in Nottingham

That was once to not be however Britain trainer Pete Russell might be happy with this opening effort in what is about to be the largest ice hockey match staged in Britain for years.

There was once time for just one extra objective, Kirk, the first English born and educated participant to be drafted through a staff in the NHL, the Arizona Coyotes, showing his magnificence early in the 3rd length when he was once given time through the Korean defence to pick out his spot for the fourth.

Korea had been neat and tidy however hardly ever threatened Britain goalminder Ben Bowns who has develop into used to being Britain’s busiest participant in opposition to the elite however right here won one in all the extra relaxed shut-outs of his occupation.

This was once nonetheless a super get started for a Britain aspect who want simplest end in the best two in this six-team 2nd tier crew to realize the promotion that might regain the standing amongst the elite they fought so laborious to stay grasp of since their promotion in 2018.

That four-year run was once ended with relegation closing 12 months in Tampere, Finland after defeat in their closing deciding sport in opposition to Austria however Britain have long past on somewhat a adventure from the depths of the 3rd and fourth tiers in the previous few years and took their first step closing night time in opposition to getting again amongst the giant boys.

After Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Poles, 7-0 victors over Lithuania on Saturday, Britain will cross on to stand Lithuania and Romania prior to what is predicted to be the gold medal deciding sport in opposition to Italy right here in Nottingham on Friday.