Sunday's's match was one which Swindon Chill had to win to keep their slim hopes of making the final alive, while for Chieftains, a win was necessary to keep their fine recent run going.

Chieftains tested Ken Wotherspoon in the Swindon net several times in the opening minutes but then fell behind on 4.15 to a sloppy short-handed goal after they committed too many men forward and lost the puck on the Swindon blue line.

Ex-Chieftains Darcy Cahill accepted the gift to put Chill ahead and soon after, Gareth Endicott proved a thorn in the side again for Chieftains on 13.37 when another turnover up ice gifted him a goal.

All seemed lost for Chieftains on 15.48 when Macleod made a rare error losing sight of a wrap-around goal from the lively Cahill.

Chieftains then found themselves on a power-play following a holding penalty on Sean Tarr and on 18.32 a fortuitous Heavey drove the puck through a ruck of players, the assist going to Jake French.

The break time dressing down for Chieftains from coach Pete Hewitt had the desired effect as Chieftains came out and produced their best hockey of the season.

On 21.37 good approach work by Jon Cotton and Tero Sarkiniemi left Heavey to backhand a fine effort and at 25.53 Heavey completed his hat-trick on a power play when he deflected in a Karl Goebel blue-liner.

Chieftains went ahead on 27.51 after strong play from Karl Rogers and Richard Whiting left Andy Hannah to score.

With Chill becoming increasingly rattled. Chieftains went further ahead on 30.16 with one of the best goals of the night.

Hannah dispossessed a Chill forward in front of the home net and sent Rogers away to find Jon Cotton to power home from the slot.

Rampaging Chieftains netted their sixth goal on 32.07 when Heavey's cross ice pass was smashed in first time by Sarkiniemi.

The period scoring was completed on 35.08 when Cotton and French left Sarkiniemi to expertly deke Wotherspoon for a 7-3 lead.

Chieftains were guilty of over confidence in the final period and a series of defensive blunders let Chill back for three soft goals.

Another short-handed gift on 40.39 let in Ken Forshee to reduce the arrears and a carbon copy error let in Endicott for his second goal on 42.34.

Chill found themselves on a power-play and closed the gap to one goal through Klas Darrell on 46.56.

The game was on a knife-edge for a while until Chieftains gave themselves some daylight at 53.45 when Rogers and Whiting conspired to set up Hannah to score.

Hannah completed his hat-trick on a power-play two minutes later, before Chill had the last say at 58.55, when Aaron Lewis took Macleod by surprise by scoring straight from a face off in the Chieftains' zone.

The result means that Chieftains need only to draw at mighty Solihull this Sunday (April 11), to make the play-off finals for the third consecutive year, however Solihull Blaze will be a much tougher proposition than Swindon on their own ice.

The Ridleys Brewers man-of-the-match award went to Dave Heavey for Chieftains and Ken Forshee for Chill.

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