Sheffield Steelers 5-2 Belfast Giants

Three weeks ago these teams met for the first time in Belfast and the Ulster side's final period performance saw them take the points. Tonight 3299 saw Sheffield return the compliment to complete a four point weekend.

Giants opened and closed the scoring, George Awada lifting a rebound high over the prostrate Jody Lehman (21:16) and Peter Campbell shooting through traffic (59:47) on a late powerplay resulting from Jeremy Cornish checking goalie Stevie Lyle on the boards. But Sheffield always looked the likeliest winners. Ashley Tait levelled with a powerplay opener from an acute angle low on the left (25:56), Rod Sarich arrived to fire home high after a left wing break (36:49) and Joey Talbot deflected home Jeff Legue's shot (41:47) for the game winner. That arrived with Trevor Johnson sitting a delay of game penalty for firing the puck out and when he repeated the error later Sheffield helped themselves to another powerplay marker as Jonatahan Phillips stabbed the puck home in a scramble (57:46). In between, Ryan Finnerty netted over Lyle's right shoulder after Randy Dagenais's right wing dash (55:30).

But it all started so differently after Dagenais gave the puck to Carlyle Lewis 30 seconds in. He quickly found Peter Campbell low on the right and his drop pass let in Ed Courtney on the doorstep, but Lehman blocked his backhanded flick and Lewis' close-range follow up. Giants kept up the pressure and 2 minutes later Shaun Sutter flicked another close-range chance just wide with George Awada testing the goalie from an acute angle on the right.

On 4 minutes Jonathan Phillips fired wide across the goal from the right and the visitors swept down the other end, Campbell going across the front from right to left, but Lehman made the big save. Play restarted with Steve Munn sitting a holding minor but the home side killed the penalty with some ease.

Ryan Finnerty burst through down the left and his backhander across Lyle was turned aside. Two minutes later Ashley Tait did well to keep the puck in the Giants' zone and Legue's excellent reverse pass let in Joey Talbot close-in, but Lyle got a pad in the way and the puck ricocheted out.

Halfway through, Lehman did well to get a stick on George Awada's first-timer from 12 feet but Sheffield raced down the other end and Giants were grateful to see Legue put a golden chance wide at the back post. Seconds later Awada and Legue were sitting roughing minors and again Sheffield carved open another great chance. Ryan Finnerty bustled down the right and his quick pass was first-timed by Phillips, but Lyle stood tall.

Phillips deflected a shot close-in but Lyle turned the effort aside. Four minutes left Randy Dagenais' right wing blast found the pads and Ashley Tait Was in but Lyle blanked him twice before freezing the puck.

Legue's left wing shot found the blocker and in the final minute Campbell's screened shot was sticked aside.

Belfast opened the scoring when Awada began and finished a slick move down the left. Gaining possession just outside the Sheffield zone Awada played a short pass to Sutter and made a bee-line for the far post. Sutter dropped the puck back to Mark Dutiaume and although his shot across Lehman was padded aside, there was Awada to lift the puck over the prostrate keeper.

A minute later a pass from the right found Courtenay close in but his effort was stopped.

Sheffield got back on level terms when Trevor Johnson took a slashing penalty contesting possession with Ashley Tait. Tait and Legue forced good saves from both wings, before Tait beat Lyle at his near post from low on the left.

Phillips got across the front soon afterwards but never got in a shot.

At the other end Scott Cameron tried a wrap-around at Lehman's right post and Graeme Walton tried his luck from the right boards. But Awada should have done better when getting on the end of a long pass up the middle beyond the home defence, only to fire wide.

Walton's right point shot almost ricocheted past Lehman, but the keeper just got a pad there and Giants were doing the pressing at this stage.

Back came the home side and twice Talbot forced saves, firing in from distance then getting across the front of the net. Sheffield went in front when Phillips' pass found Hewitt on the left and he found Rod Sarich stepping up to fire home high.

Doug Sheppard tested Lyle early in the third and a minute later Johnson's unfortunate clearance was punished when Legue shot from the top of the slot and Talbot diverted the puck home to Lyle's right.

Courtenay got in on goal behind the defence but uncharacteristically mis-controlled the puck and the chance went begging. Instead, it was Dagenais forcing another save at the other end.

Steve Munn's interference minor brough a good save from Courtenay's left point shot, but Giants were struggling to create good openings.

Paul Moran's hooking penalty saw Ian Manzano blast wide, but {hillips was onto the rebound off the back boards and Lyle did well to blank him at his left post.

Back at full strength, Giants moved Dutiaume up front and he won a face-off and Johnson powered in a shot which Lehman did well to save. Two minutes later Sutter was blanked from a similar position.

With the game end to end Talbot and Dutaiume forced saves, and Cameron muscled his way down the boards and to the net, but Lehman was not to be beaten. Following the resulting face-off Cameron's shot was blocked and with Lehman sprawling at his near post, Troy Neumeier shot at the far post but somehow Lehman got his glove there to save.

Dagenais burst up the right with Phillips inside, but instead found Finnerty and his first-time shot flashed into the net.

Another delay of game penalty for Johnson saw Legue and Campbell blast good chances wide of the far post. Finnerty's backhanded shot was gloved. From the resulting face-off, a scramble saw Lyle blank Finnerty but Phillips reached the loose puck and forced it home.

Soon afterwards Cornish checked Lyle and Moran dived in. On the resulting powerplay Lehman made big saves from Cameron and Dutiaume, before Campbell rifled home from the top of the slot.