Leeds Knights VS Sheffield Steeldogs Match Report 10th February
The frustrations of the first period soon ended for Leeds after the restart, however, when Kieran Brown finally found a way past Zimozdra with just 24 seconds of the period gone.
Ben Morgan and Howlett then took penalties within seconds of each other around the 26-minute mark but the four-on-four didn’t last long, Jordan Griffin handed a match penalty for spearing Lee Haywood near the Knights net at 27.05.
That penalty was killed but being called for too many men on the ice was one too far when the Steeldogs made the man advantage count, Jonathan Kirk’s fierce drive from just inside the blue line squeezing past Gospel at 30.48.
Gospel then had to be at his best to deny Warren Tait at point-blank range after being set up by Tom Palmer on a 2-on-1 breakaway, while the Leeds netminder was again called upon twice to deny Lee Bonner towards the end of the period.
The third period was similar to the first in that the Knights created more chances. Ethan Hehir came closest to putting the hosts ahead again when he cannoned an effort off the crossbar from the bottom of the left circle.
But the home crowd only had to wait five more minutes for their team to go ahead for a second time, Barnes – missing for over two months for personal reasons – cutting in from the right boards and skilfully poking the puck home through Zimozdra’s legs at 51.32.
It looked like being enough to put Leeds three points clear at the top, but Hewitt and Kirk had other ideas.
Read the full match report on the Yorkshire Post HERE.