Sheffield Steelers 6 Newcastle Vipers 3
Feb 27 2010 by Peter Adams
THE Vipers slipped to seventh place in the league table mainly because of a calamitous second period display in which they conceded five goals, three of the Steelers’ scores coming in as many minutes.
Bidding to win their third successive match the Vipers chose not to risk their captain and former Steeler, David Longstaff, who will instead make his long- awaited return from injury in tonight’s home game against the Steelers (face off 18.30).
Another player who has played for both the Newcastle and Sheffield sides, netminder Andrew Verner, had skated to the bench on a delayed penalty when the home side took an 18th minute lead.
Passing between Jason Hewitt and Doug Sheppard created the goalscoring opportunity which was taken by the Steelers’ fast- improving young British forward Robert Farmer, the score coming just over two minutes after a Vipers’ effort had been washed out.
Farmers’ sixth league goal in the 26 games he has played since joining the Steelers in November was all that separated the two sides at the end of a period in which referee Andy Carson only saw one infringement of the rules.
