Great Britain remain on course for World Championships promotion after beating minnows Lithuania

Great Britain stayed on course for World Championships promotion in Nottingham however needed to paintings laborious to defeat minnows Lithuania and report their 3rd successive win.

Britain received 3-0 to move most sensible on this Division One Group A event following previous victories towards Korea and Poland however infrequently checked out their absolute best towards a Lithuania workforce heading against relegation after their previous defeats towards Poland and Romania.

GB scored two objectives within the first length, Cade Neilson opening the scoring in the second one minute with a high quality particular person objective and Robert Dowd including a 2d on the power-play.

But that used to be it for a lacklustre Britain who gave the impression to be preserving power for their ultimate two fits towards Romania and Italy till Nathanael Halbert registered a past due empty web objective when Lithuania gambled by way of pulling goalie Mantas Armatis for an additional attacker.

GB trainer Pete Russell took the chance to change up his ahead strains and experiment however this used to be just a little too shut for convenience for a GB facet taking a look to hit again on the first strive after their relegation from the easiest stage remaining yr.

Robert Dowd scored the second one objective on the power-play as Great Britain beat Lithuania

Lithuania’s remarkable goalie Armatis, who performs within the Swedish elite league, used to be the equivalent to the entirety else Britain may throw at him however it used to be host goalie Ben Bowns who claimed his 2d shut-out of this 2d tier event with 28 saves.

Cardiff’s Bowns used to be a lot busier than when he shut-out Korea in GB’s first fit with 17 saves however a measure of the trouble of the hosts process on Tuesday used to be emphasized by way of the truth that they had been out-shot by way of Lithuania by way of 4 pictures.

‘The first two mins had been our absolute best of the sport,’ admitted Bowns afterwards. ‘This used to be our worst recreation of the event thus far and possibly we took them too frivolously. We made it laborious for ourselves and we need to be much more keyed in going ahead. We wish to get again to our prime depth now.’

The most sensible two groups might be promoted again to the elite stage of the game however Poland’s victory over Italy previous on Tuesday approach GB can manage to pay for no slip ups in the ones ultimate two fits on Wednesday and Friday if they’re to take advantage of house benefit.