Sheffield Steelers quick to find return to winning ways to stay in Elite League title hunt

STARTING POINT: Brandon Whistle fires home one of his two goals in Sheffield Steelers' 4-2 win at home to Manchester Storm on Sunday night. Picture courtesy of Hayley Roberts/Steelers Media/EIHL

IT’S a case of as you were at the top of the Elite League table as Sheffield Steelers matched leaders Guildford Flames for points over the latest weekend.

The Steelers shot themselves in the foot with a 4-2 loss at home to second-bottom Glasgow Clan on Saturday night but, fortunately, the Flames were also suffering home woes when they went down by the same scoreline to Cardiff Devils, a result which took Brodie Dupont’s team level on points with their South Yorkshire rivals.

But while Cardiff took the night off after a prosperous weekend which also saw them put a dent in Belfast Giants’ hopes of retaining their regular season title with a 4-1 win over them on Friday, the top two got back to winning ways .

Steelers’ 4-2 win on home ice over Manchester Storm and Guildford’s 4-3 overtime win at Coventry Blaze maintains the three-point gap between them, with the Devils two points adrift of the Steelers but with a game in hand.

It was Brandon Whistle, up on the third line with BRandon McNally and Danny Kristo, who led the charge for a Steelers team smarting from the previous night’s setback, putting them 2-0 ahead with goals in the 16th and 24th minute.

Former Steelers’ favourite Anthony DeLuca halved the deficit soon after but a superb solo effort from Robert Dowd restored the two-goal advantage at 30.24.

Liam Blackburn got Storm back to just one behind just 68 seconds into the third on the power play but, again, the Steelers were quick to restore, Brett Neumann, smashing home at 44.29 to ensure both points, much to the delight of head coach Aaron Fox.

"That was much better from us tonight,” said Fox. “I thought the start was very important for us we had some energy. From puck drop we got off to a lead tonight which we haven’t done for a long time.

PRIDE: The Sheffield Steelers' specially-designed 'Pride' jersey as part of the Elite League and ice hockey's Pride Week celebrations. Picture: Dean Woolley/Steelers Media/EIHL

"So it was good to get the crowd back on our side tonight with a good start like that and then we took over in the second period and I thought Brodeur played very, very well and we were only up two goals when I thought it could have been four or five.

"They scored a quick one on the power play but we bounced right away to close it out pretty smoothly.”

On Saturday, Clan’s Steven McParland beat Matt Greenfield at 14.14 to break the deadlock only for the Steelers to level 30 seconds later but the Steelers through a snappy wrist shot from Scott Allen.

Clan regained the lead 46 seconds into the second through Gary Haden, a lead which they maintained until they extended it through a second for McParland at 57.54, Kevin Massy making sure of the points with an empty netter shortly after before Matt Petgrave grabbed a late consolation for the hosts.