THREE times Sheffield Steelers held the lead at Guildford Flames in their Elite League encounter - three times they gave it up.

In the end, the hosts ran out deserved 7-4 winners, marking their first regular season league game with two points - just like the Steelers had three days earlier in Scotland when hammering Glasgow Clan 6-1.

It marked a first defeat of the season for the Steelers having won all four of their previous outings - three of them in the group stages of the Challenge Cup - and head coach Aaron Fox felt his team were the masters of their own downfall, struggling to find momentum throughout the night at the Spectrum.

“I thought it was a pretty even hockey game for the majority of the night,” said Fox. “But we just never really found any momentum. It’s important in hockey to follow up your goals with positive play after those shifts

EVEN-HANDED: Karl Boudrias levels for Guildford in Wednesday's Elite League clash with visitors' Sheffield Steelers. Picture: John Uwins/EIHL Media.

placeholder image — EVEN-HANDED: Karl Boudrias levels for Guildford in Wednesday's Elite League clash with visitors' Sheffield Steelers. Picture: John Uwins/EIHL Media.

“Every time we scored, it felt like a minute later we gave one back, and that just neutralised anything positive we had going.”

Fox said the Flames’ ability to punish mistakes in transition was ultimately the difference.

“I thought turnovers were the deciding factor,” added Fox.

“They’re very good in transition and every time we made a mistake around the offensive blue line they punished us.

TOUGH NIGHT: Sheffield Steelers' Ivan Bjorkly Nordstrom battles with Guildford's Jonathan Racine. Picture: John Uwins/EIHL Media.

“We gave them too many opportunities to come back the other way with speed and they made us pay for it.”

The Steelers got off to an ideal start when Sean Collins opened the scoring at 5.57 with his second goal in as many games.

Guildford responded through Jake Willets after 91 seconds and did so again through Karl Boudrias after the Steelers had regained the lead at 15.26 through Evan Jasper.

The industrious Whistle restored the visitors’ lead at 27:31 but - this time through - the Flames restored parity within two minutes.

A change of sequence came in the third period when former Cardiff Devils’ forward Cole Sanford put his new team ahead at 44.29. Then it was the Steelers’ turn to quickly respond when Brien Diffley made it 4-4 just 94 seconds later.

But two goals in three minutes - the second on the power play - from the Flames’ Chase Gresock proved decisive, giving the hosts a cushion they kept hold of, making sure of the points with an empty net strike from former Steelers’ forward Brett Neumann with just 20 seconds remaining.