GREAT EFFORT AT COVENTRY but Blaze take the points.
A battling display from the GMB Nottingham Panthers on Sunday night ended in a 5-3 defeat, including an empty-net goal at the league leaders.
You can hear coach Corey Neilson's reaction on Panthers Radio. Elsewhere on Sunday Sheffield beat Belfast (4-3), Edinburgh won at the Cardiff Devils (0-1) and Hull beat Newacstle (5-3).
In Coventry the home side pounced on a loose puck to take the lead in the fourth minute but on the next shift Marty Gascon stole the puck in the neutral zone and sent Jade Galbraith in to equalise hard and low from a long way out.
David Clarke, with his stick across his chest tipped in a go-ahead goal in the tenth minute but another attempted clearance landed sweetly for Blaze in the slot for a powerplay first period equaliser in the 14th minute.
In the second, Blaze broke out short-handed two-on-one and turned in the go-ahead goal but a wicked blast from the high slot by Cameron Mann on a five-on-three powerplay restored parity.
From the half-way mark onwards the referee saw nothing to call on the home side but gave a string of penaltieis against the visitors but the battling Panthers saw off powerplay after powerplay including two five-on-three spells.
Eventually the calls had to tell though and a rebound on yet another powerplay in the third proved to be the game-winning goal at 45.40
The excellent Kevin St Pierre was pulled with 49 seconds left only for an empty-net goal for the Blaze at 59.29 which still left time for a little scrap between Richardson and Fulghum, five minutes each with 22 seconds to go, Blaze's first penalty since the 29.01 mark.
WEDNESDAY SEES THE GMB PANTHERS DEFEND A TWO GOAL LEAD AGAINST ARCH-RIVALS SHEFFIELD IN THE SECOND LEG OF THIS SEASON'S CHALLENGE CUP.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE.
CHEER THE BOYS ON TO A PLACE IN THE FINAL AGAINST CARDIFF, TELL YOUR FRIENDS THE TRENTFM ARENA IS THE PLACE TO BE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SEE YOU THERE!