Match Night Live

We;come to MNL as the Devils and BVlaze go head to head in back to back Challenge Cup games

So join me OJ later when the action gets under way - face off is 7pm

Remember as always score predictions to matchnightlive@gmail.com = before face off please

Warm up about to start

Its going to be a nightmare to distinguish the two teams - Devils in Black - Blaze in Navy

What happenned to the convention that you played in light colours at home, dark away or even the opposite way round.

I remember the stick the fans used to give us that we never wore red at home only on the road

No score predictions to MNL so far where are they?

Lets hope we get a bumper crowd in the Tent tonight

I am still on the lookout for sober texters in Coventry on Sunday, if you can help me send me a message to matchnightlive@gmail.com

Sanity prevails, Devils will play in White

Lets hope that the Blaze have more than one set of jerseys.

Stephen fancies a 5-2 Devils win

So do many others Stephen

Warm up enters its last couple of minutes

Derel calls it 4-2 to your beloved Devils

So far this season I haven't had any e-mails from family of Devils players back in North America, there must be some out there?

Legend777 calls it 3-2 Devils, Missus Legend has more faith and calls it 4-2 to the Devils

Jo thinks we will have at least a two goal win, that belief for you

Thats what I want to heat Laurence a 4-2 Devils victory

Zamboni preparing the ice for the forthcoming battle.

Michael Hicks has the whistle tonight

About 40 Blaze fans have made the trip to the Tent

As usual fans slow in turning up

Teams finally make an appearance

Its gone very quiet from the Tent

God atmosphere in the Tent by all accounts

We are away finally

Devils penalty - Matzka

X-checking was the call @ 3:03

It looks like one of those nights with a built in network delay

30secs of pk left

Devils return to full strength

Gametime 5:12

A lot of niggles already

A very open game so far end to end

DEVILS GOAL

Devils 1st goal scored my Michel

A shot from the blueline at 7:16 assist Finnerty

FIGHT

Fight was Adams v Selmer - massive Adams win

Penalties on the way

Adams and Selmer get 5 minutes for fighting @ 8:28

G batters Selmer after he mouths off to Matzka

Network is playing up badly tonight

Blaze penalty Owen @ 11:32 - Interference

Blaze Goal - SHG

Blaze shg scored by Fulghum @ 11:48

Assists for Carlson & Zanon

Adams returns for the Devils

Gametime 13:39

Devils penalty @ 16:02 - Matzka - tripping

Matzka beaten for speed so he took his man down

DEVILS Goal

SHG by Phil Hill

Breakaway chance that he took well

Devils 2nd goal scored by Hill @ 17:06 assists for Finnerty and Lyle

A great SHG

Final minute of 1st period

Michel goes close on a sh attempt

End of 1st period DEVILS 2 Blaze 1

Come on the Clan ( 1-0 to them after 1 period at Sheffield)

Whilst the Panthers are winning 4-1 it is Library silence at the NIC

You know thia Aaron Nell on the Blaze team is he anything to do with infamous Steve Nell?

For those of you who don;t know what I am going on about - in 1987 or was 1988 Steve Nell of the Swindon Wildcats signed for the Devils to much publicity and drum banging.

He never appeared and asked if he could be released from the contract he signed and remain at Swindon

Maybe he didn't have a psssport - for a move from Swindon to Coventry you don't need one

Very few e-mails tonight, if you are out there send me an email at matchnightlive@gmail.com

Especially if you know whether Aaron Nell is anything to do with Steve Nell

Tim believes Aaron is Steve Nell's son

Players back on the ice

Steve Nell would have fitted in well in Cardiff especially if Daryl Lipsey came as well

Just imaging the line of Nell, Lawless and Lipsey - the Peewees are bigger

Thanks everyone we have confirmation that Aaron Nell is Steve Nell's son

He a good question for you - Have any other father and son have palayed against the Devils?

2nd period starts

Blaze goal @ 24:04 - Carlson assists Fulghum & Soderstrom

Devils penalty - Pelle - tripping

Penalty timed @ 27:20

KILL

Devils penalty @ 28:12 - Michel - roughing

Blaze on 5 on 3

Pelle returns

Devils have 40 secs to kill

Devils return to full strength

Apologies I missed the Balze penalty to Fulghum :@ 28:22

We must identify which mobile network gives the delay in texts

Blaze Goal

Devils player tripped no call from Hicks - Blaze score

Blaze 3rd goal @ 31:55 - scored by Fussey assists Fulghum & Carlson

Come on u Devils get into top gear before its too late

Tim tells us the Owen Fussey has just broken a Blaze club record by scoring in 9 consecutive games

Devils penalty @ 35:58 - Finnerty - 5 + Game - slashing

Blaze ppg

Hicks has lost control of the game - what a surprise

4th Blaze goal @ 36:10 scored by Owen

Assists Weaver & Chambers

Finnerty had been acting goonish all night finally got caught

Blaze still on pp

Gametime 38:16

Blaze Goal

Blaze ppg scored by Selsmer assists Zanon & Fulghum @ 38:55

Devils penalty @ 39:38 - K Smith - slashing

End of 2nd period DEVILS 2 Blaze 5

That a 4-0 period win for the Blaze in our barn

Blaze will start 3rd period with a 5 on 3 for 59 seconds

Make that 58 secs followed by 40secs of 5 on 4

I don't know what its like in the Devils dressing room all I know is that in the rare situations like this with Lawless and Heavey as coaches I would be outside tapping sticks even if they didn't need tapping

I remember being asked to leave the dressing room by one coach only for him to come out later and tell me he was finished and to get the team home to Cardiff

An that was when we had probably conceeded two soft goals on the road.

Devils were sh for nine minutes in that period

Things are going from bad to worse Bench penalty against Devils at 40:00 2 + Game

Neil Francis thrown out

That 2 minute minor can't even start until 40:58

Sam Smith serving Bench minor, Ben Davies serving Finnerty major

Brad Voth now on Bench

That will not be allowed unless he was on the team list as being on the Bemch

3rd period starts

Blaze goal

K Smith returns

That was after Blaze ppg @ 41:26 scored by Owen

Assists Nell & Carlson

Devils amazingly are back to full strength

Blaze fan comment from Tent - Hicks has ruined this game

Devils penalty @ 43:49 - Hill - high sticks

According to some experienced and trusted fans some of these calls are utter rubbish

Major aside minor penalties are 7 for Devils 2 for Blaze

Blaze fall down - penalty against Devils

Devils triped - Hicks looks the other way

Devils are full stregth - wonders will never cease

End to end hockey

Apologies just noticed I haven't give you SoG Devils 14 + 8: Blaze 14 +15

As Ger-Devils says at 2-2 it was a good game but now ruined by Hicks for everyone

Hicks is having a nightmare he just whistled for offside and everyone (including the linesmen) looked at him in shock.

I hope Andrew that that is not the reason that Hicks is having a go at the Devils, if there is any doubt that that commercial issue lies in the backgroind then the league can't allow Hicks to officate. at Cardiff.

Devils bless them are playing until the final buzzer are pressurising Bl;aze for that 3rd goal

Very quiet from the Tent

The pea must have dropped out of hgis whistle

Devils penalty @ 57:39 - Hill - interference

Gametime 58:15

Final score at NIC - Panthers 12 Dundee 2

BLaze ppg @ 58:30 - Weaver assist Fulghum

That 4 ppg on the bounce

As someone asked by e-mail are there any D playing for the Devils tonight

No Stephen there doesn't seem to be any icing

Blaze penalty @ 59:39 = Aaron Nell (son of Steve) - tripping

Devils penalty - Michel 10 + 10 - abuse of official

10+10 means Game

Godness knows how many pim this adds up to now

Michel's penalty was timed at 59:39

Final score DEVILS 2 Blaze 7

Devils refuse to shake hands with Hicks

Blaze MoM - Greg Owen

Devils MoM - Phil Hill

Stewards escort Hill off the ice

Lets hope the EIHL look at the tape, which I am sure they will but will not act

In many ways they cannot as there is an acute shortage of referees and losing the incompetent ones only creates problems