Sheffield Steeldogs 6 Telford Tigers 3: Dogs take command after first leg of National Cup Final

The final concludes in Telford on Wednesday, March 30, but Greg Wood’s team will head to Shropshire in confident mood after last night’s handsome victory.

But it didn’t look like it was going to be their night when, with just 15 seconds gone, Jack Hopkins struck to put the visitors ahead.

But the Steeldogs wrestled control of the game back with two goals in just over a minute halfway through the first, Alex Graham levelling at 10.25 before Jack Brammer put the hosts ahead on the power play 86 seconds later.

That was how it stayed until just after the halfway mark when, with Andreas Valdix in the box for hooking, Sam Towner extended the home side’s lead with a shorthanded strike.

That lead became 4-1 at 45.57 when the prolific Jason Hewitt got on the board.

Telford hit back through Andrew McKinney with just under 10 minutes remaining, but the Steeldogs ensured the night was to be theirs, Lee Bonner making it 5-2 at 54.34 with Valdix making it 6-2 three minutes later with another shorthanded effort.

McKinney doubled his tally for the night on the power play shortly after, the Steeldogs hoping that goal won’t come back to haunt them in the second leg in 10 days’ time.

The Steeldogs return to league action tonight, hoping to maintain their push for second spot in the regular season when they travel to rivals Milton Keynes Lightning.

They are on the road again tomorrow when visiting Peterborough Phantoms.

Leeds Knights sit third in the standings and could go second if they beat Bees at home tonight and Telford clinch the regular season title by beating second-placed Swindon Wildcats.

Leeds – without centre and captain Matty Davies this weekend through injury – head to Telford tomorrow night.

In the Elite League, Sheffield Steelers will look to build on their rousing 5-2 win at regular season title rivals Belfast Giants last Saturday when they make the short trip down the M1 to take on Nottingham Panthers.

The Steelers are two points off leaders Belfast with a game in hand, the two teams meeting each other three more times between now and the end of the regular season.

While the Steelers are in Nottingham, Belfast host Dundee Stars, before travelling to Manchester Storm tomorrow, when Aaron Fox’s team travel to Fife.