Sheffield Steelers v Fife Flyers: Late goal ensures Steelers win

Vojtech Polak celebrating scoring for Sheffield Steelers against Fife FlyersVojtech Polak celebrating scoring for Sheffield Steelers against Fife Flyers
Vojtech Polak celebrating scoring for Sheffield Steelers against Fife Flyers
Aaron Fox was left to rue missed chances, but at least his Sheffield team grabbed maximum points in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Fife Flyers.

The coach said his skaters had to make more of their chances - they'd had around 50 shots.

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Fox admitted things got "hairy" with Fife halving their deficit with four minutes left.

An empty-net goal settled it for Steelers.

All of their three previous home games against Fife this season had ended in hefty wins (5-2, 6-0 and 5-1.)

And there was an almost predictable opening period with Steelers utterly dominant.

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Fife, rolling just four defencemen, had been shut out 4-0 at Cardiff Devils on Friday, and conceded again, at Sheffield Arena after 63 seconds.

Vojtech Polák was on hand to finish a move triggered by a penetrating Marc-Olivier Vallerand contribution.

Sheffield had Adrian Saxrud-Danielsen back on the ice and he announced his return with a heavy hit on the boards in his first shift.

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Steelers were in cruise control with Justin Hodgman showing off his svelte passing range, Tanner Eberle illustrating his pace and eagerness to go in the hard areas and Tommaso Traversa buzzing around like a demented bee.

The second goal came, pleasingly, for Eberle, who broke clear and backhanded into the roof of the net.

Jacob Benson had a half-chance for Fife, but they were being deluged.

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The Scots put up a gritty resistance that Braveheart would have been proud of.

While Eberle and Polak could and perhaps should have added a brace, netminder Shane Owen and his skaters kept quality chances at their end to a minimum.

Flyers continued with their almost obsessive defending and kept Steelers attackers at bay - defying home d-men Jones and Kevin Schulze who joined in the one-sided game.

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Astonishingly it was the Scots who scored the next goal Brandon Magee wrecking Barry Brust's shut out.

It was hard to take in.

Ridiculously, the match was on a knife edge. But it was settled when Polak despatched the empty-netter with 10 seconds left.

Attendance: 6,438.