GREAT Britain Under-20s head coach Pete Russell paid tribute to his side after they stunned top seeds France at the World Under-20 Championship.

GB triumphed 5-4 following a penalty shootout at Dumfries Ice Bowl in the Division 1B encounter.

Swindon Wildcats forward Ollie Betteridge scored for the victors in regular time, while Link Centre teammates Floyd Taylor and Sam Godfrey were also involved.

And Russell, a former Wildcats coach who currently runs the Swindon-based Okanagan Academy, was delighted with the result.

“I am so proud of the boys right now,” he said.

“We changed the system close to face-off but it worked a treat. The boys stuck to the gameplan and gave such a fantastic performance.

Jordan Cownie and Ross Venus scored in the shootout and goaltender Adam Goss saved two France efforts as GB secured a memorable win.

Liam Stewart gave GB the lead initially at 2.13 but their opponents levelled courtesy of Jordann Perret 36 seconds later.

Betteridge then finished from 15-year-old Sam Duggan to close out the first period, before Julien Laplace equalised with the only goal of the second period.

France surged in front through Guillaume Leclerc at 51.28, but Venus replied 36 seconds later.

Liam Morris restored the GB lead at 57.37 before Perret brought it back to 4-4. However, heroics from Cownie, Venus and Goss saw GB triumph.