Sheffield Steelers 6-3 Cardiff Devils

Sheffield missing Leff Legue and add Robert Dowd who wore Legue's #11. Devils continue to ice Mike Brabon in goal.

The box office staff were in such a hurry to get home that they forgot to let Steelers know what the attendance was! Had they remained with the estimated 4,000 fans they would have seen Sheffield skate away with the win after trailing 2-1 at the end of a bad-tempered opening period which contained 3 fights. Both teams were sent to the dressing room with 42 seconds remaining as Brad Voth was ejected for a check to the head which left Steelers' Ashley Tait unconscious. Tait took no further part in the game. An angry home team emerged to power into a 4-2 lead and although Devils pulled a goal back two goals in the final 8 minutes ensured Steelers took the points.

Devils took the lead when Neil Francis' had a shot deflected past Jody Lehman (5:10). The sides swapped goals on two-man advantages. Randy Dagenais netted top right with Francis and Voth sitting minors, before Paul Sample re-directed Sylvain Deschalets' shot with Voth, Steve Munn and Phillips all in the box.

Steelers restored parity when Jason Stone lost the puck and Phillips raced away short-handed to wrap the puck behind Brabon (22:49). Ryan Finnerty edged the home side ahead after winning a face-off on the left (24:40) and Jeremy Cornish rifled home from 10 feet (27:41) to finish a sweet passing move.

Jason Silverthorn fired home through Lehman's pads from low on the right (37:14) to give the Devils hope, but Lehman and his side shut the door from then on and Doug Sheppard wristed home top right (52:25) and Phillips netted from the left (58:51) to seal the win.

Phillips and Ashley Tait brought early saves with Mattus Petricko ignoring the pass inside to Lee Cowmeadow and instead testing Lehman from low on the left.

Then Deschatelets and Cornish dropped the gloves for fighting penalties with the Devils' forward getting an extra 2 minutes for lack of a tie-down on his shirt (sat by Francis).

Brabon turned aside shots from Rod Sarich and two from Joey Talbot before Francis emerged from the box and scored with a speculative shot from the blue-line.

Two minutes later Francis was back in the box for interference and Voth joined him 25 seconds later for slashing. Steelers passed the puck around patiently before Dagenais blasted home.

Talbot, Silverthorn and Finnerty kept the goalies working before Voth and Munn fought in a stoppage. Munn got an extra minor for no tie-down and Phillips joined him for tripping on the play.

Devils also passed the puck patiently before Tyson Teplitsky popped up close in but Lehman made a great save. However Sheppard's block saw Sample redirect the puck past Steelers' out-of-position keeper to retore the lead.

Brabon was not tested during Gerad Adams tripping penalty then Ashley Tait took a hooking penalty stopping a breakaway. Devils stepped up the pressure with Deschatelets and Silverthorn forcing saves.

Cornish tested Brabon from the left wing and Cowmeadow headed for the box for interference.

Another patient powerplay brought a single shot from Ashley Tait which Brabon padded aside, only for Voth to charge the Sheffield player head high. With Tait prone tempers flared and Munn immediately took issue with Voth. Lehman left his crease to confront Voth as he skated off with a match penalty and had to be ushered away. Ref Carson sent both teams to the dressing rooms as the interval was taken early.

When play resumed the sides were skating 3-on-3 as Cowmeadow remaining 53 seconds of penalty were joined by a 5 minute major against Voth and 2 minor penalties against Cornish and Lehman. Munn and Voth also had fighting majors which were coincidental.

Only Sarich tested Brabon and with Sheffield back to a single man advantage Dowd took a tripping penalty. But Devils couldn't get anywhere and first Sheppard skipped across the front of the net to force a pad save. Then Phillips skated the length of the ice to level the game.

Sheffield upped their game and despite saving from Sarich, Brabon was soon fishing the puck out again when Finnerty fired home from the left.

Cowmeadow got away up the right and his drop pass to Birbraer saw the Devils' marksman blast wide. Instead Sheffield went straight up the other end and a pass from the right wing was converted by Cornish.

Still Sheffield continued to press and Brabon was a busy keeper with little relief. Even Dowd's second tripping penalty of the night saw Finnerty and Ian Manzano forcing saves from Brabon.

But Silverthorn got away down the right and converted to keep the visitors in touch. However they soon found themselves killing another penalty as Teplitsky took a slashing minor. Finnerty and Cornish forced saves on the powerplay.

Devils did the pressing throughout the final period as they chased an equaliser. Lehman blanked Teplitsky, Petricko, Matt Towe and Jason Stone before Finnerty's interference penalty. But Talbot broke away short-handed and as he drove the net Teplitsky had little choice but to take a hooking penalty.

Back came the home side, Sarich and Dagenais forcing stops. But Teplitsky emerged from the box and soon after forced a huge save from Lehman as the defence cleared the rebound. Deschatelets was blanked soon after and instead Sheffield increased their lead, Finnerty's pass from the right being fired home first-time by Sheppard.

Devils didn't stop chasing. Mike Garrow popped up at the back door but Lehman made the save. Then Birbraer's stick-handling on the left gave him space to shoot, only to find the goalie's blocker.

Instead it was left to Steelers' captain Jonathan Phillips to round off the scoring from the left wing.