Great Britain 3 Austria 5: Heartbreak for GB as World Championships relegation confirmed

A regulation win for GB would have sent the Austrians down instead and it looked like they were on course to achieve their aim when twice holding a two-goal lead in the third period.

But the Austrians showed the quality that had earned them points against the USA and Latvia, as well as a famous win against the Czech Republic earlier in the tournament to run out deserved winners.

The result brings an end to GB’s three-year stay at the ‘Pool A’ level.

“It's not the best feeling, obviously,” said Sheffield Steelers and GB captain Phillips, who set a new record for appearances during the game when he passed former team-mate Ashley Tait to win his 111th cap.

“We've been on the other end of this and we know how that feels and to be two goals up twice - we are pretty gutted right now.

“But the experience we've gained in these three years has been huge and that is why it is so disappointing to get relegated from this group - it's so hard to get into. This is going to sting all summer.”

Pete Russell’s team dominated the early stages and went close through Cade Neilson, Robert Dowd, Brett Perlini and Mark Richardson before they eventually got their rewards on the power play when Matthew Myers swept home the puck from close range at 19.01.

The lead was doubled soon after the restart when Steelers’ forward Dowd redirected Neilson’s pass into the net with his skate at 21.57, GB holding on to that lead - in fact, almost extending it through breakaway efforts from Evan Mosey, Myers and Brett Conway - until the anticipated Austrian fightback came in the third period.

That started when Ali Wukovits’s one-timer got past Ben Bowns at 44.51, although the disappointment on the GB bench soon disappeared when Neilson showed great poise to restore his team’s two-goal lead less than two minutes on a one-on-one with the impressive Austrian netminder Bernhard Starkbaum.

But in a frantic eight-minute spell, Austria were able to strike twice more - first through Dominique Heinrich’s deflected shot at 47.28 and then Benjamin Nissner’s scrambled effort at 51.26.

Knowing they needed to win inside 60 minutes, GB pressed forward and paid the price when Thomas Raffl scored on the rebound to put Austria ahead for the first time with just 66 seconds remaining, Peter Schneider’s empty-net goal adding insult to injury 22 seconds later.