Sheffield Steelers 3 Guildford Flames 1 - Steelers up and running as they secure first piece of silverware in Challenge Cup

It is the first of three trophies on the radar for Aaron Fox’s team, who got over the line despite a determined effort from a Flames team who pushed them hard throughout the entire 60 minutes.

Goals from Brien Diffley, Patrick Watling and Mitchell Balmas ensured the Steelers were 3-1 ahead in front of a sellout crowd after 40 minutes and, although they spent the majority of the third period in their zone, there was no way through again for the Flames, who had levelled in the first period through Bradley Lalonde.

It wasn’t pretty at times but it didn’t need to be as head coach Fox tasted success for the second time in his five years with the team, repeating the Challenge Cup triumph he enjoyed in Cardiff in March 2020.

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Now their attention will turn back to the regular season Elite League title, Fox’s team currently sat top 11 points clear of nearest rivals Cardiff Devils with 10 games remaining.

The Steelers couldn’t have got off to a better start, their attacking dominance being justly rewarded with just two minutes gone.

The inspiration came from captain Robert Dowd, weaving this way and that on the outside edge of the right circle before making enough room for himself to strike a pinpoint perfect pass beyond the far post where defenceman Brien Diffley was waiting all alone to guide the puck home into the empty net, with Flames’ netminder already committed to the initial pass.

At the other end, Matt Greenfield had to be alert to deny Steven McParland after the Flames’ winger worked space for himself at the bottom of the right circle before Patrick Watling almost snuck in a second goal for the Steelers when his wraparound was denied by Burman’s right-hand post.

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Burman then did enough to deny Dowd from in front in the ninth minute after good work by Mikko Juusola down the left boards and Dominic Cormier picked the wrong option when he was through one-on-one, cutting in from the right wing but his lay-off behind failed to find a team-mate.

The Flames then started to come into the game more and had settled themselves down after the early pressure, Greenfield diverting a long-range effort through traffic from Bradley Lalonde.

But the Steelers’ netminder was powerless to deny Lalonde’s next effort, the Flames’ D-man driving into the Steelers zone and unleashing an early, fierce right-hand shot that eluded Greenfield as it flew into his top left-hand corner at 13.48.

The first penalty of the game didn’t arrive until the 19th minute, but it was to prove a telling moment when Flames’ captain Brett Ferguson was sent to the box for slashing.

It looked like the resulting power play would come to nothing as the Steelers struggled to create any clear openings but, with just one second left before Ferguson was the rejoin the fray, Watling one-timed a Cormier pass from the right circle which went through Burman to restore the Steelers’ lead with just 19 seconds of the period remaining.

It wasn’t long before the Steelers doubled their advantage for the first time in the game.

Just over four minutes into the second period, Diffley fired the puck on net where Balmas was darting across from right to left, getting the deftest of touches on it, enough to divert it past Burman and into the net.

Watling came close to making it 4-1 when he found himself one-on-one with Burman but the Flames goaltender stood tall to keep his team in the game, although they couldn’t make anything of a delay of game penalty handed out to Diffley in the 26th minute.

In fact, it was at the other end that another goal almost came Daniel Ciampini found himself on a 2-on-1 with Scott Allen, but he was denied by Burman after electing to shoot.

Guildford, knowing they had to, came out flying in the third period and dominated in terms of zone time.

But the Steelers were proving a dogged bunch and Grade A chances were hard to come by for the Flames.

When the Flames did get close to the net, Greenfield was immovable, denying Lewis Hook on a wraparound in the 44th minute, while he could only watch as a Lalonde effort from distance took a couple of deflections in front of him before sliding past the outside of his right-hand post.

Matt Alvaro was unable to beat Greenfield on a Flames breakaway in the 50th minute and got a glove to a fierce shot from Turner Ripplinger.

Some brief respite came at the other end from Watling when he broke down the right, but he couldn’t find a team-mate from behind the goal-line and Dowd went close with a wraparound before the final five minutes saw the Flames camped in the Steelers’ zone.

Burman was pulled with more than two minutes remaining but despite throwing everything on Greenfield’s goal, there was still no way through, the Steelers seeing out the remaining seconds to seal a deserved win and tick off the first of the three pieces of silverware that are on their radar.