Opening night delight for Steelers

SHEFFIELD STEELERS burst out of the blocks to get their Elite League campaign off to a flier with a 5-1 hammering of Cardiff Devils.

Goals from Ashley Tait, Joey Talbot, Jerramie Domish, Jeff Legue and Robert Dowd ensured Ben Simon's coaching career got off to the perfect start at Sheffield Arena.

Scott Matzka netted a shorthanded goal for a lacklustre Cardiff at the beginning of the third period but it couldn't prevent the 3,000 home crowd going home in jubilant mood.

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Tait provided the perfect start for the home side on his first appearance for the South Yorkshire club since agreeing to return in the summer, when he found the back of the net at 3.40.

It wasn't until the first minute of the second period that Steelers doubled their lead, Talbot netting on the powerplay.

Just over 10 minutes later, debutant defenceman Jerramie Domish swiftly glided from one end of the ice to the other as the Cardiff defence parted to allow him the freedom to fire past a stranded Steve Lyle in the visitors' goal.

Legue struck early in the third before Matzka reduced the arrears seconds later with a well-worked shorthanded goal.

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But the expected build-up of pressure on the back of that goal failed to materialise from a subdued Devils side and it was left to Dowd to fire home the final goal of the evening, capitalising on a Lyle mistake to tap the puck home at 58.20.

The victory, not to mention the margin, was all the more impressive given that player-coach Simon is still waiting for two of his imports - forwards Rob Globke and Derek Campbell - who are waiting for visa clearance.

And with Jason Hewitt being given a five-plus game penalty for slashing midway through the second, it left the home side three men down against a Cardiff side who had been afforded the luxury of some proper pre-season preparation with games against 2009-10 league winners Coventry Blaze.

Steelers, on the other hand, have had no exhibition matches, largely due to the majority of their players only arriving in the UK within the past week.

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Steelers face a long road trip on Sunday when they travel to Scotland to take on Dundee Stars in the home side's first-ever Elite League encounter.

* In the night's other opening game, Nottingham Panthers came from behind to defeat pre-season title favourites Belfast Giants 4-3 on a shootout at the National Ice Arena.

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