Sheffield Steeldogs and Leeds Knights battle it out for second in NIHL National

It was the Knights who took a big step forward on Sunday night, moving up to third spot with their 6-1 home win over Milton Keynes Lightning completing another four-point weekend, a triumph which came 24 hours after a 4-3 win on the road against the same opponents.

The Steeldogs started off their weekend in winning style when beating Raiders 4-1 in front of their own fans on Saturday night, only to slip up on the road when going down 5-3 at Bees, who are now in pole position over their Essex-based rivals for the eighth and final play-off slot.

Telford could effectively clinch the regular season title this Saturday if they beat Swindon Wildcats. If not, a win at home to Leeds the following night should do the trick.

Three points separate Swindon, who currently sit second, from the Steeldogs in fifth, with Leeds and Milton Keyens nestled in between. The two Yorkshire rivals could conceivably settle the race for runners-up when they meet in the final game of the regular season on SUnday, April 3.

But it is a big weekend for both the Tigers and the Steeldogs for other reasons when the two meet on Friday night at Ice Sheffield for the first leg of the NIHL National Cup Final (face-off 7.30pm).

The Steeldogs go into that game on the back of the loss to a Bees side fighting for their play-off lives.

Josh Smith and Andreas Valdix traded goals in an even first period before the hosts took control in the middle section with three goals in four minutes, the third and fourth markers coming just 13 seconds apart.

Juha Lindgren put his team ahead at 27.06 and added his second of the night after Alan Lack had made it 3-1 at 31.07.

Jason Hewitt kept the visitors interested at 47.16 but, as they pulled goalie Miles Finney in search of further goals with over two minutes remaining, William Stead made sure of two vital points for the hosts with an empty-net strike, the Steeldogs grabbing a late consolation on the power play through Hewitt with 16 seconds to go.

On Saturday, Greg Wood’s team did the Bees a big favour by seeing off the challenge from bottom club Raiders.

Matt Bissonnette and Lee Bonner struck within the first five minutes to give the hosts 2-0 cushion, the lead stretching to four goals without reply by the end of the second with goals from Valdix and Hewitt.

Tommy Huggett hit back for Sean Easton’s side at 46.21 but that was as close as they got.

For Leeds, two goals apiece for Adam Barnes and Cole Shudra, plus strikes from Jamie Chilcott and Lewis Baldwin saw the Knights ease to victory over the Lightning on home ice, Bobby Chamberlain hitting the visitors’ sole reply.

On Saturday, it was Kieran Brown who got the Knights off to a perfect start in Buckinghamshire when he fired past Matthew Smital with just 3.34 on the clock.

It got even better for the visitors when Brown was involved, along with defenceman Ben Solder, in the build-up for a strike from Barnes which made it 2-0 at 12.25.

That was how it stayed until the latter stages of the second period when the Lightning struck twice in as many minutes to even the score.

Sam Talbot halved the deficit on the power play at 37.12 and it was another stint on the man advantage that saw the hosts level through Adam Laishram with six seconds of the period left.

The comeback was complete for the home side when Sam Gospel was beaten by a Sean Norris effort at 47.41 to put his team ahead for the first time on the night but, crucially, the Knights were back on level terms quickly when Shudra fired home just over three minutes later.

Brown then proved his value to the Knights’ cause once again when he grabbed his second of the night at 52.20, enough to take both points.