Steeldogs take the LEAD in 1st leg of Roses battle

SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS 5 - 2 MANCHESTER PHOENIX 

Saturday night saw the Manchester Phoenix lose out 5-2 to the home town Sheffield Steeldogs, in yet another typically feisty game at Ice Sheffield.

Some dubious calls from the referee Dan Boardman led to the Phoenix being on the penalty kill for the majority of the 1^st period. Joe Graham and the ‘Dogs’ Greg Wood had a heated disagreement behind the play with neither getting any penalties over it.

Sheffield took the lead on 7 minutes, when Andrew Hirst opened the scoring on the power play with for 1-0 lead and that was quickly followed up 28 seconds later with another goal, as work by Greg Chambers passed across goal to the waiting Edgar Bebris and he put home for 2-0 at 8-09.

Phoenix found their way back into the contest when the play was to 5-on-5 hockey and the visitors had two efforts hit the post twice in a minute.

Phoenix then got on the scoreboard as Andy McKinney skated hard down the left wing before driving towards goal at an angle which then saw Frankie Bakrlik rifle one home for 2-1 at 11-13.

2^nd period saw the Steeldogs score an early one, with Lubomir Korhon diverting the puck past Steve Fone for a 3-2 scoreline while short-handed.

Phoenix then had the majority of the play in the second as chances went wide of the nets and shots raining down on Sedlar with most of them straight at the goalie.

Sheffield`s normal game of chippy, agitating play came to the fore in the second, as the Steeldogs were struggling to contain Manchester attackers and resorted what they do they best.

Towards the back end of the period Phoenix built up constant pressure around the ‘Dogs’ nets in the final 2 minutes of play, as the home side were all hands to the pump for the Steeldogs and with the away side unable to find this goal they went in with the 3-2 lead.

56 seconds into the final period, James Archer scored on the power play when Greg Wood was serving two minutes for Hooking down Robert Kovar at mid ice.

Frankie Bakrlik was then given 2 minutes for High Sticks as the Sheffield player made the most of the incident milking it for all it was worth.

Steve Duncombe then did a terrible slash on Robert Kovar hand which sent the Czech star sliding across ice in pain as he certainly felt the chop he received from the Sheffield man. That led to Phoenix defenseman Robert Schnabel and other Phoenix players trying to have some very strong words with the Duncombe as they weren`t very happy at all with the slash on their team mate. Schanbel wanted Duncombe desperately over the incident and was having to be restrained by his team mate over it.

Fitness was showing now, as Sheffield having played more games and were more sharper than their opponents, with Manchester tiring and Sheffield making it work for them, with Andre Payette tipping in a shot from Duncombe that saw Payette unchallenged in front of Fone to give the home side a 4-2 lead.

Then with under 7 minutes of play left, a tired pass from the Phoenix defense was gobbled up by the Steeldogs and in particular Callum Pattinson, Pattinson made his only contribution of the night, but it may turn out be the decisive moment of this War of the Roses cup.

The ex-Whitley Bay Warrior fired past Fone for a 5-2 scoreline and sent everyone associated with the Steeldogs into raptures and Phoenix feeling a bit deflated as they will need to work hard on defensive side of things for the second leg that is for sure.