Sheffield Steelers 4-3 Coventry Blaze after overtime

Sheffield missing Stevie Duncombe and Les Millie, Coventry missing Andre Payette (suspended).

Some 600 fans from Coventry boosted the gate to 4,083 and with the game preceded by a two minute silence in honour of the victims of the Asian Tsumani, a bucket collection raised £1,129 towards the disaster fund.

Coventry's indiscipline cost them the game thanks to Ron Shudra's overtime winner squeezed in at Jody Lehman's left post (62:44), after Blaze did so well to claw their way back from a two goal deficit late in the final session.

That indiscipline exploded in the second period. Just 82 seconds after Jeff Christian reacted first to a loose puck in front to put the home side 2 goals up (32:18), Chris McNamara was penalised for cross-checking behind the play and Adam Calder needlessly talked his way to a game misconduct before play could restart. Some 59 seconds later Graham Schlender and Steelers' Gerad Adams clashed and scuffles broke out all over the ice.

When the ice chips settled, NHLer Wade Belak was ejected with a 5 plus game penalty for roughing, to be joined by Schlender with a match penalty for fighting. For the home side Daryl Andrews, Adams and Christian all received double minors for roughing.

The sides played 5 minutes skating 3-on-3 during which twice Mark Dutiaume opted to shoot when a pass inside to Paul Sample looked a better option. McNamara made no mistake, opening the scoring for the visitors (37:37) finishing an end-to-end move after goalie Jody Lehman set Neal Martin away.

But just over two minutes later Erik Anderson restored the two goal advantage, firing in off the back of Lehman's right leg (39:48) from low on the left wing with the sides skating 4-on-4.

At that point it seemed game over but Coventry did all the pressing in that final session, and with the home side taking three minor penalties, the visitors helped themselves to a couple of powerplay goals.

With less than 9 minutes remaining Gerad Adams took a slashing penalty and Blaze called a timeout. Neal Martin's shot was somehow scrambled clear, then Dan Carlsson drew goalie Jayme Platt to his right post before cycling round the back of the net but Steelers defence crowded him out until Platt could recover.

Adams then took an interference penalty and this time Carlsson's right wing pass found McNamara in space and he rifled home (54:32). Just 25 seconds later Marc Lefebvre's stick caught Josef Lukac in the face and Ashley Tait scrambled home Martin's rebound (56:19), though Sheffield argued the puck had been kicked in.

But Jeff Christian's cool head created the winner, electing to draw the goalie and pass to the back post from the left wing when most players would have shot and Shudra supplied the finish.

Earlier Sheffield had the better of the opening session. Younster Russell Cowley took an interference penalty just 44 seconds in. Captain Dion Darling deflected Dave Cousineau's left wing shot inside the far post a minute later to set Steelers on their way.

Ten minutes later Lehman cleared the puck behind his net straight to Gavin Farrand, but his first-time pass out front found nobody on the end of it, and the chance went begging.

Coventry began the second with a bench minor for abuse of an official and 7 minutes later captain Ashley Tait took a penalty for captain's attitude. Christian's intelligent passing should have brought a second goal but Erik Anderson fired wide of an empty net from the right.

Just before the mid-point of the game play was stopped with Mike Peron face-down on the ice with a facial injury. Peron left the game and did not return with Cousineau and Doug Schueller taking roughing penalties.

Then came those penalties...