Capitals make no gains in Sheffield

The result saw Steelers move to within two points of second-placed Nottingham Panthers with a game in hand. Leaders Belfast remain seven points ahead of Sheffield, although the South Yorkshire club have three games in hand.

The home side took an early initiative striking at 2.15 with a powerplay effort by Neil Clark and extending their advantage at 6.19 through Jeff Legue.

The poor start did not effect the visitors too much, despite coping with the resignation of coach Brad Gratton earlier in the day and they hit back to tie the period with counters by Kyle Horne at 10.36 and former Steelers' forward Jeff Hutchins at 16.19.

The home side restored their lead at 26.29 with a second powerplay goal, this time from the prolific Joey Talbot but again the visitors were level when Martin Cingel found a way past Ervin Mustukovs at 33.13.

But three goals in the space of five minutes for Steelers effectively ended any hope of the Capitals taking something back north of the border with them.

The energetic Rob Dowd netted at 34.34, Rob Globke added a fifth at 36.33 and Dowd, this time on the powerplay at 39.06, concluded the scoring spree.

Chris St Jacques netted shorthanded at 55.23 to make it a two-goal game again before Rod Sarich's 57th-minute strike ensured no late nervous moments for the home side, despite Hutchins plundering his second of the night in the very last second in a 5-on-3 powerplay.