​  NOTTINGHAM Panthers’ perennial back-up goaltender Geoff Woolhouse made a shock first appearance of the season at the National Ice Centre in the crunch top-of-the-table clash with Coventry Blaze and back-stopped the side to a sensational 8-3 victory over the league leaders.

Given the nod when No.1 netminder Kevin St Pierre was ruled out with a nagging groin strain, the 25-year-old Woolhouse turned in a great performance as the players in front of him put on their best show of the season to leave the title chase still on the burner.

The emphatic win means third-placed Panthers just two points adrift with four games to play, just like Coventry, but with Belfast lying second, a point off the top, having played one game more.

Woolhouse, released by EPL side Swindon in January, got the call-up last weekend in the 7-6 win in Hull, ahead of teenage back-up Mark Hartley.

  But in all his previous seven seasons with Panthers, none of his starts could have been  more dramatic than this potential league title decider.

The man of the match said: “It was amazing to come back here and play in front of so many people once again and in a must-win game, too. It can’t get any better than that.

“Apart from one mistake, when I was caught out of my goal, I think I played pretty solid.

“But it’s great when the defence is so good in front of you and you watch the forwards scoring for fun.

“I know it’s going to be a lot different in Cardiff (on Sunday), though, and that is another must-win game for us.”

Woolhouse’s display got the thumbs up from St Pierre, who says he is hopeful of recovering in time for the play-offs.

  “It’s been a tough week for me,” he said. “I hurt myself in the shoot-out against Sheffield last weekend and though I was in a lot of pain, I wasn’t going to miss the cup final on Tuesday.

“That game made it worse but ‘House’ came in and we all have every confidence in him. He did very well and everyone is pleased for him

“As far as I’m concerned, the pain is less than it was on Tuesday and now I’m just going day to day and will see how I am before the game with Edinburgh on Wednesday.

“They are all big games now and it breaks my heart not being able to be out there.

“But if I play injured, I could be done for the season or even longer.

“I’m a winner and I want to help the guys but I will have to take my time. But I will definitely be back for the play-offs. 

Coventry’s  record against  Panthers this season doesn’t make pretty reading -- and they must be sick of travelling back to the West Midlands on the wrong end of a trouncing.

In ten cup and league meetings between the sides, Panthers have won seven times.

They have racked up an amazing 43 goals including 21 in Coventry’s last three visits to Nottingham, with goalie Peter Hirsch giving himself the big hook on the last two occasions.

But despite their latest embarrassing defeat, Coventry still hold pole position in the chase for the title and, as well as looking to win in Cardiff, Panthers will be hoping mercurial Sheffield turn it on against the Blaze at the Skydome.

Both teams have everything to play for – but you wouldn’t have thought that watching this one-sided display.

Panthers outfought, out-thought and outplayed Blaze from the off and despite going a goal down in the 12th minute from Greg Owen, they took to the game to Coventry all over the ice.

Woolhouse pulled out a good glove save from Adam Calder to help settle his nerves and Panthers  -- who had Nick Toneys back in the line-up -- gradually exerted control with Dominic D’Amour drilling in the equaliser (16.58) just as Blaze came back to full strength after a penalty to Dan Carlson.

The goalie had to be sharp again at the start of the second period but once Panthers had gone in front, David Clarke cutting in to fire home from Jade Galbraith ( 29.20), there was only one team in it.

Before Coventry could blink, it was 3-1 with Sean McAslan hitting the first of a second hat-trick of the season (31.03) and five minutes later, Corey Neilson powered in No.4 after McAslan was hauled down going for goal.

In between those goals, Woolhouse pulled off a fine stop to deny Brian Lee when Coventry were short-handed.

That second-period display when Panthers might have had another two more goals, seemed to knock all the stuffing out of the visitors and in the final session, Kevin Bergin rubbed in his side’s superiority with their first power-play goal of the night, scoring on the doorstep from Marty Gascon (43.01).

Coventry gave themselves a glimmer of hope with Owen’s second which bobbled past Woolhouse (48.41), but a clinical finish for the sixth goal from McAslan (51.31), following Bergin’s rush, saw off Hirsch, who stormed angrily off the ice to be replace by young Tom Murdy.

But there was no letting up from Panthers and Cameron Mann put away Jay Henderson’s rebound for the seventh (54.17) on the power-play as the overwhelmed Blaze beat a trail to the penalty box.

McAslan slipped in his 38th goal of the season to complete his hat-trick (56.44) for Panthers’ third power-play goal, before Brad Cruikshank back-handed a consolation third (58.02) past Hartley who had come on for the final six minutes.

It was a Panthers performance to remember. But with the top of the table so tight, it just makes those  slip-ups against Newcastle (twice) and Cardiff even more frustrating.

See Monday’s Evening Post for match report from Sunday’s  game in Cardiff

MATCH FACTS

PANTHERS 8, COVENTRY 3

(1-1, 3-0, 4-2)

McAslan 3+1; Bergin, Mann 1+2; Henderson 0+3; D’Amour 1+1; Richardson, Galbraith, Gascon 0+2; Clarke, Neilson 1+0;  Levers 0+1

Shots on goal: Panthers 40 (32 on Hirsch, 8 on Murdy), Blaze 29 (26 on Woolhouse, 3 on Hartley  (9/10, 11/10, 20/9)

Penalty mins: Panthers 8, Blaze 18 (4/6, 4/4, 0/8)

Panthers man of the match: Geoff Woolhouse

Referee: Andy Carson

Attendance:  5,720

Other results: Sheffield 2, Hull 3 (After Overtime); Newcastle 3, Edinburgh 2.