Sheffield Steelers 6-1 Fife Flyers

This was Steelers’ final game in hand over table-topping Cardiff Devils; the victory draws them six points behind the Welsh. Flyers started well and the iceSheffield side had to scramble the puck off the line soon after the start. The 6ft 2ins netminder Shane Owen, at the other end, parried efforts from Luke Ferrara, Rob Dowd and John Armstrong, who opened his season’s account against Fife in October.

The dam finally burst when Zack Fitzgerald and Levi Nelson set up centreman Andreas Valdix for a goal.

With six seconds left of the period, it was deflating blow for the Scots.

Steelers had dropped Mike Ratchuk to accommodate new signing Geoff Walker, the new boy dropping a clanger at 22.45, but his goalie Ervins Mustukovs came to his rescue.

A quick Steelers raid brought goal number two at 26;54, though, Nelson getting his second point of the night, assists from Dowd and and Christoffer Bjorklund

Fitzgerald took two tripping penalties but the home side defended well.

Jonathan Phillps could have put the match beyond Fife’s reach completely but missed a super opportunity.

At 41:21 Walker announced his arrival with a goal from Fitzgerald and Desbiens for 3-0.

Phillips added another straight away to give them an unassailable advantage.

Fife were unravelling. And Colton Fretter made advantage of their disarray for 5-0. It was four goals scored in just over three minutes when Armstrong scored. A shut out was denied by Sebastien Thinel.