Sheffield Steeldogs in road trip heaven as Leeds Knights see lead at top disappear and Hull Seahawks' struggles continue

Sunday’s 6-3 win in Telford made it a perfect weekend for Greg Wood’s team, who had already shut out third-placed Milton Keynes Lightning the previous evening in a 3-0 triumph.

In Buckinghamshire, Matt Bissonnette got the ball rolling with a strike at 10.11 and doubled his tally just over three minutes past the halfway mark. Frustrations for the home side continued when Alex Graham made it 3-0 shortly after at 34.27.

It got even better for the South Yorkshire organisation 24 hours later, taking the lead at virtually the same time as the previous night when Jordan Buesa broke the deadlock at 10.06.

Jack Watkins levelled for the home four minutes later which is how it remained until Lee Bonner slotted home a penalty shot just over two minutes into the second period.

Vladimir Luka again hauled the hosts level, making it 2-2 at 25.51, but only three more minutes had elapsed when Graham restored the Steeldogs’ advantage. A high sticks call on Brodie Jesson gave the Steeldogs a power play opportunity to extend their lead, which they duly did, D-man Jonathan Kirk firing past Brad Day at 31.14.

An already-handsome lead became three goals when Lee Bonner struck his second of the night at 34.57.

With just under 10 minutes remaining, the Tigers gave themselves a lifeline on the power play through a second of the night for Luka, but Graham was able to match the former Steeldogs’ forward’s efforts shortly after, doubling his own tally for the evening – and making it three for the weekend – when he fired home at 52.17.

Leeds Knights finally lost their status as the only team not to have lost in regulation in NIHL National when they went down 4-1 at home to an in-form Swindon Wildcats.

Kieran Brown gave the Knights the lead with just 41 seconds gone but two goals from Swindon player-coach Aaron Nell before the end of the first, plus further markers from Tomasz Malasinski.and Colby Tower secured a fifth straight win for the visitors.

On Saturday, the Knights were made to work hard for a 3-0 win at Bristol Pitbulls. Goalless after two periods, the deadlock was broken by Cole Shudra with a power play strike at 42.52. Brown doubled the lead when he broke clear at 53.20 before Adam Barnes’ empty-net strike made the points safe.

Hull Seahawks scored three goals in the last seven minutes at Swindon, but it was all too little too late, as they had already fallen 6-0 behind.

Jordan Fisher, Tom Stubley and Andrej Themar all lit the lamp, although Malasinski ensured the hosts had the final say with a last-minute empty-net strike - his fourth of the evening - with other goals coming from Reed Sayers, Colby Tower and Russ Cowley.

Last night, the Seahawks made it a weekend to forget when they lost 5-1 at home to Bristol.

Once again, the Pitbulls were part of a game that remained goalless through 40 minutes but, unlike the night before at home to Leeds, this time it was they who broke the deadlock when Morgan Clarke-Pizzo struck at 42.49.

Seahawks’ James Archer was then ejected from the game on a 5-plus match for fighting shortly after, allowing the Pitbulls to double their advantage through captain Owen Sobchak at 48.05.

It got worse for Matty Davies’s side when Sam Smith made it 3-0 just 21 seconds later, the game disappearing out of sight when former Leeds defenceman Ben Solder scored a fourth for the visitors at 51.13.

Andrej Themar got the home side on the board finally at 57.47 but – like the previous night in Swindon – it was too little too late, the Pitbulls having the last say through recent arrival Bayley Harewood’s empty-net strike with 60 seconds remaining.