Phoenix 3 Belfast Giants 4

Despite a super showing from netminder Stephen Murphy, Manchester Phoenix came out of Sunday's home clash with the resurgent Giants with nothing to show for their efforts.

Phoenix were again without Bruce Mulherin for their only game of the weekend, while the Giants arrived in Altrincham following a 7-6 win in Nottingham on Saturday. But the Giants showed no tiredness and they played at pace throughout the encounter.

The visitors opened the scoring in the fifth minute, player coach Steve Thornton turning on a sixpence to squeeze a backhanded rebound past Murphy. Belfast were raiding quickly with their transition through the neutral zone on all three lines operating effectively and Murphy was called upon to make a string of quality saves.

Phoenix hit back in the twelfth minute from David-Alexandre Beauregard, with another close range finish at the back post on assists from Tony Hand and Luke Fulghum. But before the cheers greeting the equaliser had subsided, the Giants were back in front, Paul Deniset getting the first of his hat-trick haul with his side shorthanded.

Phoenix remained calm and composed and again drew level just over a minute later as Giants' netminder Stevie Lyle failed to hold a shot from Adam Walker and the puck crept over the line for 2-2 at the first interval.

The second period was played at a tremendous pace, with both sides playing open attractive hockey with no quarter asked or given as both sets of players played a physical, but clean game.

Again, the feature of the play was the Giants quick transition from defence into attack and again Murphy in the Phoenix goal was called upon to make key saves. His opposite number Lyle didn’t see as much of the play, but when called upon, he too responded as the session ended without any further addition to the scoreline.

The atmosphere from the big crowd in the Altrincham Ice Dome ramped up early in the third period as Walker bagged his second of the game to give the home side their first lead of the game.

Having had the better of the play, it was now the Giants' turn to chase the game and it took them till a 52nd minute powerplay to force the equaliser, Deniset again on the spot to tie the game up again.

The final minutes were played at a blistering pace and the game seemed destined to go to overtime, but Deniset broke Phoenix hearts with a last-gasp winner with just 23 seconds to play.

Phoenix player coach Tony Hand said: "We worked hard tonight against a very good Belfast side and I thought we’d got the point we deserved. Stephen Murphy was excellent tonight, and it was disappointing to lose it right at the death.

"I’d just begun to think about the overtime period, but it wasn’t to be. We missed Bruce tonight for sure as the Giants rolled three very good lines of forwards. Bruce will have a scan this week and hopefully then we’ll learn the exact extent of the injury and how long he’ll be out.

"It’s disappointing to lose that late in the game, but we’ll bounce back. We got great support tonight, the fans were terrific in getting behind us."

Next weekend, Phoenix are at home on Saturday with a 6.30pm face-off against the Hull Stingrays before travelling to Edinburgh on Sunday to take on the Capitals at the Murrayfield Ice Rink.

Sunday's other games

Cardiff Devils 2 Sheffield Steelers 3 (After Shootout)

Steelers completed a great 4-point weekend and moved right on to the shoulder of leaders Coventry Blaze with this shootout win in Wales, with Jeff Legue firing home Steelers seventh shot to claim the extra point.

As is historically the case between these two teams this was a feisty affair with 123 penalty minutes handed out by referee Michael Hicks. There was a sensational start after only 2 seconds, when the gloves were off between Doug MacIver of Devils and Brad Cruikshank of Steelers with MacIver ejected on a 2+5+game for having no tie down on his sweater.

Then at 7.44 Steelers' Andrew Sharp was thrown out on a 2+2+5+game as he became involved with Devils' Mike Hartwick. Once things settled down, Phil Hill fired the home side ahead at 14.22 but Steelers restored equality at 19.30 with a counter from Joey Talbot on a delayed penalty call.

The second period was goalless but the home side wasted no fewer than four powerplay opportunities in the session. Into the third period and there seemed no way through for either side before at 52.13 Phil Hill edged the home side ahead only for Robert Dowd to tie it up again at 56.37 and send the game into overtime.

The overtime period couldn't find a winner but a third player was ejected from the game as Jay Latulippe of Devils was banished on a 5+game for butt ending at 64.26.

The shootout saw both teams score in round four (Jeff Legue of Steelers and Tyson Teplitsky of Devils) but finally Legue ended the contest when scoring with Steelers seventh shot.

Coventry Blaze 1 Basingstoke Bison 4

An incredible result at the Skydome as league leaders Blaze slumped to their second loss of the weekend, with a Bison side travelling with only 11 skaters producing arguably the shock result of the season so far.

Bison were inspired at both ends of the ice in this game with goaltender Kevin Reiter turning away no less than 65 shots and sniper Danny Stewart helping himself to a hat trick. It was the visitors who took the lead after only 3.51 when Matt Miller hit the net, and the home crowd were shocked further at 7.43 as Stewart shot his side into a 2-goal lead.

The expected Blaze backlash saw them fire an incredible 27 shots on Reiter but only a powerplay goal by Adam Calder at 37.44 was to beat the Bison backstop. That goal came after the homesters had fallen four goals behind as Stewart completed his treble with goals at 26.04 on the powerplay and then at 33.06.

In the third period Blaze outshot their visitors by 19-3 but there was simply no way through and a goalless session saw Bison skate home with a great two points.

Edinburgh Capitals 7 Hull Stingrays 3

A third period surge helped Capitals to an important two points, with a treble by skipper Martin Cingel being the highlight for the Scots. It's now a fifth straight loss for Stingrays, however, and they are now three points adrift at the bottom of the league standings.

A fairly even opening period saw the spoils shared with firstly Jeff Glowa opening for the visitors after only 33 seconds but Capitals hitting back through Cingel at 12.49 to see equality at the first period break.

Much more offence in the middle stanza with David Nimmo firing the home side ahead at 23.26 shorthanded only for Glowa to restore equality on the powerplay 45 seconds later. The Stingrays sniper then completed his hat trick at 26.38 shorthanded but the Scots were in no mood to lie down and strikes by Mark Hurtubise at 28.14 and Andre Rajcak both on the powerplay saw Doug Christiansen's men take a 4-3 lead into the third period.

Any hopes Stingrays had were quickly ended as goals by Cingel on the powerplay at 44.08 and Rajcak at 47.05 gave the home side a 3-goal cushion and Cingel's hat trick marker at 59.39 only served as icing on the cake.