Leeds Knights 6 Sheffield Steeldogs 5 (9-6 agg): Knights prevail in pulsating Yorkshire derby to book place in Autumn Cup final

Leading 3-1 following the first leg at Ice Sheffield on Wednesday, it wasn’t until the closing moments at Elland Road on Friday night that the home fans could eventually relax, their team winning 6-5 on the night and 9-6 overall. They were made to scrap - literally, at times - every inch of the way.

The near-1,000 crowd may not have been the biggest at Elland Road Ice Arena this season, but at times they contributed to the building probably being the loudest it has ever been playing their part in a thrilling 11-goal derby battle royale. The only regret, probably, was that this wasn’t the final itself.

Boosted by the return of Matty Davies at centre – back in the line-up for the first time since October 24 – and the addition of Mack Stewart on the wing, Leeds were certainly stronger in numbers compared to Wednesday, although they were missing forward Adam Barnes who was ruled out ill.

For Sheffield, Tim Smith was back in defence after missing the first leg and, as expected, it was the visitors who made all the early running as they strived to close the gap by getting on the board early.

MORE – Steeldogs backed to overcome Autumn Cup heartache by coach Wood

Jordan McLaughlin, making only his second appearance in net for Leeds and having turned away 39 or 40 shots two nights previously, got an early sighter from Lee Bonner through traffic which he safely smothered. Before long, however, the hosts were on the penalty kill when Davies was called for cross-checking behind the net.

Matt Bissonnette was denied by McLaughlin at the near post on the resulting power play but, apart from that, Leeds seemed comfortable when a man down. Lee Haywood then drove the net but was repelled and McLaughlin had to react quickly to stick out his right pad to deny Alex Graham from the left circle when Leeds found themselves on the penalty kill again after Jordan Fisher was sent to the box for hooking.

It was all Sheffield, with the Knights pinned in their own zone for sustained spells without being able to generate much offence of their own.

But it was against the run of play that the first goal came at 8.32 when Lewis Baldwin – again playing in a more forward role that brought him a brace in Sheffield – burst down the left wing. He had Harry Gulliver free to his right as a two-on-one developed but – no doubt still bristling with confidence from his scoring exploits in the first leg – elected to go on his own, firing high past Dmitri Zimozdra to make it 4-1 on aggregate.

Leeds were continuing to take penalties and they paid the price just six seconds into a roughing call on Brandon Whistle when Hewitt fired low inside the right-hand post at 14.39 to restore the deficit to two goals.

Less than a minute later, however and the Knights were three ahead once again, Brown making sure a power play counted when he fired through the narrowest of gaps at Zimozdra’s near post from the right circle at 15.31.

Ethan Hehir then had a gilt-edged chance to make it 3-1 on the night after Brown’s speed – at times frightening – took him behind the net from where he offloaded to his fellow winger but he couldn’t quite connect.

Leeds were immediately made to pay when, with the next foray into the Knights’ zone, Hewitt drove down the left-hand side and beat McLaughlin at his near post at 17.16.

Lewis Bell rattled McLaughlin’s post early in the second period, but clear-cut chances were harder to find compared to the first, the battle started to intensify when Gulliver and Bonner were both sent to the box for roughing in the 27th minute.

Zimozdra blanked Brown from 10 yards out and it was from another Brown effort that Sheffield actually went ahead on the night, the former Steeldogs’ winger seeing his effort from the left circle narrowly miss Zimozdra’s left-hand post before ringing all the way around the boards to a waiting Hewitt who was left all alone on the halfway mark as Leeds made a line change.

The former GB international drove the net, the puck breaking free off McLaughlin, allowing Bissonnette to show quick hands to poke home for a 3-2 lead at 35.04.

But no sooner had the away fans stopped celebrating than Leeds restored their two-goal cushion, Gulliver finding himself free in the right circle from where he fired through Zimozdra’s pads at 35.16.

Leeds extended their advantage just over five minutes into the third through Jordan Fisher and, with a three-goal cushion to their name again, looked home and dry.

But the Steeldogs had other ideas, James Spurr making it 7-5 overall with a tap in from close range on the power play at 54.29 before the lively Bonner ensured the home side’s nerves became even more frayed when he skilfully rounded McLaughlin to make it a one-goal game at 57.15.

Tension filled the building but, thankfully for the home fans, not for long. Whistle called a timeout, no doubt in order to calm the situation and, as the game entered the final minute, Baldwin chipped the puck out around the boards where it eventually found Gulliver all alone in centre ice. From there he bared down on Zimozdra and beat the Steeldogs netminder low to his left to give his team some breathing space at 59.05.

The breathless match-night announcer had barely had chance to read out the names of the scorers before the building erupted again, this time Brown getting his just rewards for an energetic performance, when he showed a deft touch in front of net before placing the puck through Zimozdra’s legs just seven seconds later.

There was still time – well, there were only two seconds remaining – for Bonner and Ben Solder to drop the gloves at centre ice, neither player backing down before they tumbled to the ice. It brought a fittingly frenzied conclusion to a what had been an entertaining and pulsating derby encounter.