EPL: Fightback gives Steeldogs coach Greg Wood plenty to be positive about

Trailing 3-0 with less than half the game remaining, the Steeldogs set to work on restoring balance, reducing the deficit at 36.49 through Lubomir Korhon.

Just over a minute later, the hosts lead was cut to one goal when Wood himself got on the scoresheet to give his side hope going into the third.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Milton Keynes had prevented any further damage until, in the 53rd minute, Tom squires levelled for the visitors.

That was how it stayed into and at the end of overtime and, once the shoot-out got to sudden death, Stanislav Lascek proved to be the hero when he slotted home following a miss by the Lightning’s David Clements.

The result more than made up for Saturday night’s heavy defeat on home ice to defending EPL league and cup champions, Telford Tigers, who had a pleasant trip home to Shropshire on the back of an 8-4 victory.

Squires (0.38), Lascek (16.36) and Craig Elliot (25.55) saw the home side almost match the Tigers blow for blow, with the visitors taking a 5-3 lead into the second period break.

Arnoldas Boas (44.47) then brought the hosts to within one, only for Telford to pull away once more with further goals from Callum Bowley, Joe Miller and Jason Silverthorn, who sealed a hat-trick with his final-minute strike.

“Overall looking at the weekend, we have played two teams who are expected to beat us and we can take a real big positive from it,” said Wood.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better performance against MK and it’s great to come away with another two points from a tough barn.”

The win at Milton Keynes means Sheffield remain in the eighth and final play-off spot, four points ahead of Bracknell Bees, who enjoyed a 4-3 win at home to Swindon Wildcats on Sunday.

Still rooted at the bottom are newcomers Hull Pirates, who were hoping to build on their first regulation win the previous weekend against leaders Basingstoke, who went top after beating Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Sadly for Dominic Osman’s team, it was a weekend of disappointment as they followed up a 3-2 defeat at Guildford Flames on Saturday with an 8-3 defeat at Telford the following night.

Trailing 2-0 after the first period, Hull halved the deficit against the visiting Flames with a 25th-minute strike from Lee Bonner.

Guildford enjoyed the better chances but found it impossible to stick a third past Martins Raitums until the 48th minute when Jens Eriksson slotted home.

Again Hull came back into the game and reduced the deficit to one again when, at 50.30, Pasi Salonen fired past Stephen Wall in the Guildford goal. But that was as close as they got.

Despite being heavily outshot in Telford Hull kept themselves in the game until a collapse in the final eight minutes saw them ship four goals.

The Pirates had actually taken the lead at 4.21 through Tommi Laine, but found themselves 3-1 down after two periods.

A 45th-minute powerplay strike from Osman saw them increase the pressure on the home side and, even though Nathan Salem restored the two-goal lead at 50.24, Hull returned fire with another strike from Laine just over a minute later.

As Hull pushed for an equaliser, Telford against increased their advantage, this time through Silverthorn before further strikes from former GB international Jonathan Weaver, Max Birbraer and Blahoslav Novak sealed a comfortable victory.