Great Britain beat Japan 5-4 in overtime in a pulsating game at the World Championship Division I Group A in Romania.
After leading 2-0 at one stage, GB were 4-3 down until Ben O’Connor fired in an equaliser with under two minutes remaining before captain Robert Dowd scored the overtime winner on the day he won his 100th cap.
Dowd becomes the seventh player in history to reach the century landmark and there was also a special milestone for forward Brett Perlini who won his 50th cap.
Liam Kirk came into the line-up after joining the team on Tuesday following his playoff success in the German DEL. Jackson Whistle started between the pipes with Ben Bowns as back-up.
Kirk had a chance inside the opening 30 seconds after being set-up by Brett Perlini and Dowd went close moments later.
Japan had the early momentum and Whistle stopped Nakajima Teruto’s shot from the slot, as well as Hanzawa Chikara’s close-range effort on the powerplay.
GB went ahead when Kirk set-up Dowd for a one-timer in the left-circle on a delayed penalty (17:52).
Photo credit: Dean Woolley
Whistle reacted well to stop Suzuki Fuji’s redirect as Japan had the first chance of the second period.
Perlini fed Kirk who fired through the five-hole for GB’s second (24:07), but Japan hit back within two minutes when Isogai Sota forced the puck over the line from a goalmouth scramble (25:58).
Okubo Masato cut inside from the right and fired past Whistle to equalise (29:01), before GB had an immediate chance to retake the lead but Ben Davies was denied on the breakaway.
Japan led for the first time through Hirano Yushiroh’s bullet of a shot from right-circle (34:16).
Davies shot just wide after a sustained spell of GB pressure at the start of the third period.
Photo credit: Dean Woolley
Cade Neilson and Dowd combined to set-up Josh Batch to score the equaliser from the left-circle (48:41), but Japan were back in-front within two minutes through Takagi Kenta on the rebound (50:39).
GB won the puck on the wall and the puck came to O’Connor who pulled his man out of position and fired in a dramatic late equaliser (58:11).
For the third successive game, GB won the game in dramatic fashion to secure the extra point.
Dowd broke 2-on-0 with Nathanael Halbert and fired in his second of the night to crown a memorable 100th cap.
GB are back in action on Thursday against Italy in the lunchtime game at 12:30 (10:30 BST).
Great Britain | Division 1A IIHF World Championship schedule
Sunday 27 April: Ukraine 3-4 Great Britain (after penalty shots)
Monday 28 April: Great Britain 2-1 Romania (after overtime)
Wednesday 30 April: Great Britain 5-4 Japan (after overtime)
Thursday 1 May: Italy vs Great Britain (10:30 BST)
Saturday 3 May: Great Britain vs Poland (17:30 BST)
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