Coventry 4-6 Belfast Giants

Action as the Belfast Giants beat Newcastle Vipers on Saturday

Belfast Giants finished only one point adrift of Elite League winners Coventry after beating the champions 6-4 in Sunday's final game of the season.

Blaze clinched the title with Saturday's 4-3 win over Edinburgh but the Giants were party poopers on Sunday as they won in Coventry.

Brandon Benedict and Evan Cheverie both hit braces with Michael Jacobsen and Jeff Szwez also on target for Belfast.

The Giants will face Newcastle in the play-off quarter-final next weekend.

Steve Thornton's side should go into that two-legged tie in confident mood after going so close to catching the long-time leaders with a strong finish to the Elite League season.

The first leg takes place on Saturday evening at the Odyssey Arena (1900 GMT) with the second leg in Newcastle on the following evening.

The victors will go on to the play-off finals on the Easter weekend in Nottingham.

On Sunday, Benedict and Cheverie put the Giants 2-0 up before Greg Owen replied for Coventry.

Cheverie restored Belfast's two-goal lead but Coventry then looked to be on course for a comeback win when Luke Fulghum, Brian Lee and Brad Cruikshank scored to put the champions 4-3 ahead.

However, Jacobsen, Benedict and Szwez were on target in the final period to ensure Belfast's win.

The win came after the Giants' 6-1 home win over Newcastle on Saturday.

Szwez scored a hat-trick for the Giants, with George Awada, Craig Peacock and Cheverie also scoring.

Coventry beat Edinburgh 4-3 in overtime thanks to an Adam Calder goal to secure the league title for Blaze.