The game proved two things: there is little between the teams… and you cannot afford individual errors at this level.

Three goals which should have been averted handed Coventry a 5-2 lead.

And although a spirited rally brought Steelers back into the hunt, they had left too big a mountain to climb.

The championship, while not yet a mathematical certainty, is surely heading back to the Midlands.

Steelers started the stronger, having a goal disallowed before a rocket from Jeff Legue edged Sheffield ahead.Both teams were a credit to their coaches, driving the net with equal intensity; you could not place a stick blade between them. It was anybody's guess who would score next.

Adam Calder was a perpetual threat for Blaze, and when a Steelers power-play broke down and Neal Martin calmly played the puck out to him, everyone sensed danger. Calder weighed up the possibility of a pass and then accurately rifled home instead.

Disappointingly, Sheffield's cutting edge deserted them in a middle session when they could have wracked up a few goals but instead Calder got his stick to a cross on the PP to score at 31;19.

The man-advantage had been given for a debatable tripping penalty by Ian Manzano; yet officials missed a high-stick clattering into Rod Sarich's half-visor a few minutes later.

Before that strike five Steelers forwards had failed to find a similar touch when needed.

What do you think? Post your comments below.

On a rare 3-on-2 rush, Joey Talbot could not get past Trevor Koenig and later Legue was banging his stick in frustration at not squeezing the puck home.

Steelers' season-long fate lay in the last 20 minutes. Yet Blaze were up for it too. A big rebound off Lehman allowed Sylvain Cloutier in. A blast from Matt Soderstrom rattled Lehman's bar.

Mark Thomas couldn't halt Stewart for Blaze's fourth. It was all going wrong. And when Doug Sheppard got one back, Blaze took just six seconds to reply, a Calder (hat-trick) shot somehow hitting Lehman and then rolling under him for 2-5.

Game over at 44:22? Not a chance. Work-rate brought Sheffield goals from Dan Tessier and Steve Munn.

Sadly Sheffield ran out of time... and were left to rue the mistakes which gift-wrapped the Championship for Coventry.

Coach Dave Matsos summed up: "I didn't feel we played our best game, it was too open, we gave up too many chances and they were not going to let us off the hook."

Blaze can now clinch the title this weekend by winning both of their matches in Manchester on Saturday and then at home against Belfast on Sunday.

They can claim the title on Saturday should Sheffield fail to beat Newcastle.

Don't miss tomorrow's Steelers' story.

READ MORE

Football headlines.
More Blades.
More Owls.
More Spireites.
More Rovers.
More Reds.
More Millers.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories