A HARD-hitting, bruising, but ultimately victorious encounter with Birmingham Barons on Saturday night saw the Invicta Mustangs secure an English National Hockey League (South) play-off place.

At 3:44, Mustangs' Aaron Crisford was called for holding, and Birmingham made full use of the power play, Rhys McWilliams putting the puck high into the goal from just outside the crease. Two minutes later Mustangs made a powerplay of their own count when a cross-ice pass from Peter Beerling found James Lake at the blue line, and he put the puck into the net with a big slapshot.

A Garrett Bruce solo effort on yet another powerplay, a shorthanded five-on-three goal scored by Kevin Parrish one-on-one and a close range finish from Beerling gave the Mustangs a 4-1 lead at 29:49.

The Barons pulled a goal back at the end of the second period and the third started with the game being stopped for 25 minutes after the Mustangs' Scott Hughes pushed Birmingham's Richard Taylor through the Plexiglas. Birmingham made it 4-3 before the Mustangs took control with two more goals from Parrish to give him his hat-trick.

Taylor and Hughes continued their argument and went head-to-head, with the visitor coming off worse. Both got 5+game for fighting.

Kev Lake scored a superb solo goal and Bruce scored his second of the night before a rare sight -- the Mustangs' Matt Drake started fighting with Birmingham's only netminder Ashley Cathcart.

The crowd wanted to see both players ejected from the game, as Birmingham would then have no goalie, but referee Thompson gave both players 2+2+10 for roughing at 54:28.

Birmingham got the last goal at 56:19, a shot from McWilliams taking a deflection to beat man-of-the- match netminder Lee Woodfine.

On Sunday against Milton Keynes Thunder, both teams were already guaranteed a play-off place, but it was still a entertaining game.

Goals from man-of-the match AJ Smith, James Lake and Parrish sealed the win and Grant Baxter kept pride intact by beating Lewis Clifford in the game's only real scuffle.

A great weekend for the club was completed with Invicta Dynamos winning their English National Premier League clash with Haringey Racers 6-2.

Goals from Duane Ward (2), Stuart Low (2), Matt Beveridge and Greg Hales secured a comfortable win. Captain Phil Chard said: "It was a solid performance in a game that did not have many highlights."