Sheffield Steeldogs 3 Leeds Knights 5: Derby day delight carries Knights back to top of NIHL National

But, for now at least, it is Leeds Knights who will wake up on January 1 ahead of the chasing pack, having done just enough to record a second derby triumph in five days over Sheffield Steeldogs, running out 5-3 winners at Ice Sheffield.

It means the Knights so far have a perfect record over the Christmas period and have the chance to maintain that when they host Hull Seahawks on Sunday (face-off 5.15pm).

They also enjoy a 100 per cent record against their South Yorkshire rivals, this latest derby triumph – following on from Tuesday’s 4-0 win on home ice – making it four wins from four against Greg Wood’s team this season.

In Sheffield, neither team were at their best in a stop-start game which only produced fleeting moments of flowing, end-to-end hockey and was marked by some dubious calls by the officials.

The Steeldogs will feel hard done to at not taking anything from the game – particularly after going 3-2 up in the 46th minute – and it would have been no more than they deserved.

But they will have to wait until Wednesday to take out any frustrations they might have lingering when they head down the M62 to face Hull Seahawks.

It was from an unlikely source that the deadlock was broken when Thomas Barry fired home from close range to put the Knights ahead against his former club with just 57 seconds on the clock.

It wasn’t long before the hosts were level, though, Vladislavs Vulkanovs showing determination down the right before scoring on a wraparound when squeezing the puck past Sam Gospel at his right-hand post.

Gospel’s right pad was called into action in the sixth minute when Warren Tait fired one in from distance, before Kieran Brown pinged on off Dimitri Zimozdra’s post when play broke down the other end.

After Cole Shudra fired over following good work from Zach Brooks early in the second, the Steeldogs found themselves ahead when the impressive Jordan Buesa beat Gospel to his left at 20.47.

Grant Cooper and Barry were both denied by Zimozdra but the Knights dragged themselves level just past the halfway mark when good work by Mac Howlett down the right saw him lay off the puck inside where Matt Haywood was waiting to force it home from close range.

Chances came and went at both ends but both goalies were in stingy mood and that was how it stayed until the third when the Knights’ defensive options were further hit after Barry was forced to dash to the locker room with what looked like a nasty hand injury which kept him out of the rest of the game.

The Steeldogs went close through Lee Bonner and Cam Brownley on a power play brought about by a goalie interference call on Haywood but, just as the man advantage was about to end, Matt Bissonnette won the puck from Shudra in the right circle before firing through Gospel at 45.26.

Crucially for the Knights, however, they quickly restored parity. Zimozdra made two quickfire pad saves within seconds of each other but was powerless to stop the next effort from Brown, who turned and fired instinctively into the top left-hand corner to make it 3-3 at 46.47.

Gospel denied Vulkanovs from close range before Zimozdra produced quality saves to thwart Haywood and Lewis Baldwin in quick succession. But two calls on the Steeldogs within seven seconds of each other – the first on Brownley for tripping at 53.21, the second on Lee Haywood for high sticking – proved crucial.

It looked as if the Knights were going to waste the subsequent near two-minute 5-on-3 power play that came their way but, with 21 seconds remaining on the two-man advantage, Haywood fired a piledriver through traffic and past the helpless Zimozdra to put the visitors ahead for a second time.

Buesa was denied by Gospel’s outstretched right leg from close range and with time running out and Zimozdra pulled, the Knights sealed the win when Haywood won possession on the left boards and broke forward, eventually finding Cooper in centre ice where he was free to stroke the puck into the empty net.

A win for Leeds on home ice on Sunday will see them retain their position at the top of the standings. A loss combined with a win for Milton Keynes Lightning at Basingstoke Bison will enable Tim Wallace’s team to go back top. The Steeldogs remain fourth, but now trail Leeds by 11 points.