Late winner by Legue sees Steelers increase pressure on their title rivals

Ryan Finnerty’s team – handing a debut to new American defenceman Nick Duff – came from two goals down to record their sixth straight win and move level on points with fierce rivals Nottingham Panthers.

Colt King will also share the plaudits with Legue though, scoring the two goals which enabled the visitors to take the game into the extra period.

Mark Richardson had given Cardiff the lead with a powerplay strike on seven minutes.

And it was another one-man advantage – brought about by Duff taking a two-minute cross-checking penalty – that saw Gerad Adams’s team double their lead through Sam Smith at 18.33.

But King halved the deficit at 28.36 with his 15th goal of the season while the Steelers were short-handed.

And it was a third powerplay goal of the match which saw Steelers pull level in the 53rd minute when, with Josh Batch in the penalty box for a tripping call, King pounced for his second of the night.

But, as a shoot-out looked the most likely scenario, it was left to Legue, Steelers’ top scorer, to find a way past Steve Lyle in the Cardiff goal for his 22nd goal of the campaign and the crucial extra point.

Fife Flyers closed the gap on play-off rivals Hull Stingrays with a 4-3 win over Scottish rivals Braehead Clan last night.

The result sees Flyers close the gap on Hull – currently lying in the eighth and final play-off spot – to eight points, with the Scottish club also having three games in hand.

Hull weocme ninth-placed Dundee Stars to Yorkshire on Saturday night in a crunch game for both sides, before Sylvain Cloutier takes his team up to Scotland to face seventh-placed Edinburgh Capitals in another must-win game.