Finnerty’s Clan plunder the points in Sheffield once again

Sacking the 32-year-old Canadian after two barren seasons was, to some, an understandable decision by owner Tony Smith.

But Finnerty was quickly snapped up by Elite League rivals Braehead Clan in the summer and seems to be intent on doing everything he possibly can to ensure Steelers suffer a third season without silverware.

Twice Finnerty’s Clan have visited South Yorkshire and twice they have returned home north of the border with two points.

The previous visit in September may have seen Steelers take a point after Braehead won on a shoot-out but, last night, Doug Christiansen’s side – 3-0 victors at Fife Flyers on Saturday – ended the night with nothing as Braehead enjoyed a 4-2 win which moved them level on points with Steelers with two games in hand.

Jason Hewitt opened the scoring for Sheffield at 4.07 but a short-benched Clan were ahead by the end of the first after strikes by Matt Towe and Joel Champagne. That lead was extended at 33.57 by Shane Lust and it wasn’t until there was less than 10 minutes left that Steelers were able to make it a one-goal game, Robert Dowd striking short-handed at 51.31.

But as Steelers pushed for an equaliser, they pulled goalie Frank Doyle and Clan pounced to make sure of both points with an empty-net goal from Neil Trimm.

Hull Stingrays’ player-coach Sylvain Cloutier was unhappy with his team following a 5-2 defeat at Coventry Blaze.

The game was effectively over as a contest at the end of the first period when the home side raced into a 4-0 lead.

An early marker from Ashley Tait at 2.48 put the home side in front before brace from the impressive Ryan Ginand 91 seconds apart at 8.07 and 9.38 gave the hosts an early three-goal lead.

Maoments fter Coventry’s Kevin Harvey and Hull’s Matt Sudderman were sent to the penalty box for five-minute fighting majors at 16.44, former Steelers favourite Tait struck with his second of the game.

But Cloutier’s period break talk clearly walked as, two goals in as many minutes at the start of the second period from the visitors completely changed the complexion of the game.

First, a strike from Carl Lauzon at 23.07 and then Jereme Tendler with a shorthanded goal at 25.06 cut the deficit to just two but, despite the Stingrays having four powerplay opportunities.

It proved costly to Cloutier’s team, particularly when Blaze’s Adam Henrich found the net at 52.31 on the powerplay to seal the points.

“It was the worst period we have played in the last three weeks,” said Cloutier. “That was not our team, we didn’t play well at all. We can’t keep digging ourselves a hole.

“We made a slow start and it cost us. We won the next two periods 2-1 but it was too late.

“Our powerplay has been clicking in the last five or six games but we were 0 and 8 in Coventry, we even had a couple of five-on-threes but it just didn’t get going.”

The two sides meet again on Wednesday night at Hull Arena where the winners will progress from Group B to reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.