Match Night Live

Join me (OJ) from 6;30 onwards as MNL brings you the 1st leg of the Challenge Cup Semi-final between our very own Cardiff Devils and the Belfast Giants

Score predictions always welcomed to matchnightlive@gmail.com before 7:15pm please as its going to be a busy night.

I am now in the MNL hutch waiting for my texters to report in

Hazel M in Southend thinks Devils will win 3-2

Kevan Batch goes for the same 3-2 scoreline

There's nothing like being positive Gaz but a 4-1 win for the Devils will be like the next 20 Christmases have come early

If you are in Belfast open your windows after face off and you will hear the RED ARMY roar

Devils on ice for warmup

So are the Giants

Trying to find out who the ref is tonight, none listed on EIHL website

David M thinks Giants will win 4-2

Donna & Megan think Devils will take a 1 goal advantage to Belfast after a 4-3 victory for the RED ARMY

Crane, Awada & Hutchinson icing for Giants

Brad Voth is back

Luke Piggot and Adam Harding icing for Devils

5 minutes of warmup remains

Warmup done

Very quiet on email front hopefully because the regular score predictors have gone to the BBT

Big queues outside BBT

Planet Ice Online ticketing service disappearing doesn't help

A slight compurt blip there

Gareth - The Stub can you call me please

I am concerned about the level of traffic tonight on MNL - lets hope it doesn't cause us any problems

If any of the techies - Chris S, James or The Stub are following MNL can they get in touch

atmosphere builing in the now BIG RED TENT

Stephen B says 3-2 Devils

Devils intro

Michael Hicks is in charge tonight

Planning application submitted for sinbin extensions

Both teams on the ice

Great ovation to the DEVILS from the RED ARMY

Anthem time

Brad Voth given a standing ovation when introduced

Fans are still buying tickets

Rhys calls it 4-2 Devils

Tony Wilding suggests we use the Tunnel instead of the sinbin

Game starts

Parking chaos explains late arrival of one texter

End to end at a furious pace

No shift for Voth yet

Murphy save

Fans issued with goodie bags containing clappers

Devils icing @ 3:25

Lyle save @ 3:58

2012/13 season ticket prices announced

Lyle save

BBT is redder than lasst time against Steelers

Gametime 5:26

Lots of Devils pressure

Don't refresh unless you are confident that your MNL hasn't updated

Giants penalty @ 6:25 Deniset - hooking

DEVILS GGOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Hill ppg @ 8:06

Assists Matzka & K Smith

Still no Voth

Devils pressure has most certainly paid off

If I go quiet for a minute or two its because I have to re-connect - traffic is huge

Lyle save @ 11:23

Nice clean game so far - no funny business says Spearsy

Devils working very hard and creating much better chances

The BLUEBIRDS did it so can U DEVILS

Giants penalty @ 12:58 - Kuiper - illegal equipment

Murphy denies Hill a second goal

Kuiper's helmet fell off he skated on and then went to put it back on

Devils icing @ 13:56

Another Murphy save

Murphy save from Macrae @ 14:25

Giants back to full strength (FS)

Giants penalty @ 15:15 - Mason - hooking

Lets have another PPG U DEVILS

We want a Goal now yes NOW

Devils instead go offside @ 16:13

1 minute of pp remains

Devils penalty @ 16:31 - Frank - slashing

Murphy save

Giants will have 1:16 of pp

Giants now on pp

KILL DEVILS KILL

Batch impresses Spearsy

Murphy cover puck

Gametime 18:28

Devils back to FS

Final minute

Devils icing @ 19:25

Come on lads its not cupcakes your are after but goals

Murphy save

End of 1st period DEVILS 1 Giants 0

Devils clearly on top during that period - we want another 5 just like it

Crowd estimated as 1800+

SoG for 1st period Devils 14 Giants 9

Council will announce tomorrow that the new proposed rink will have 2 ice pads and a minimum of 3,000 seats

That seating capacity of 3,000+ is for the main Arena only

Paul Ragan jumped the gun with that announcement

I suppose the important part of the announcement will be the name of the developer/builder

Teams back on the ice

We are ready - are you?

Or are they?

Yes they are - come on U DEVILS

Puck dropped 2nd period starts

Devils icing @ 20:49

Lyle covers up @ 20:55

Giants icing

Devils icing again @ 21:35

Murphy save

Devils icing @ 22:13

Murphy save from Dobben @ 23:26

Come on U DEVILS give us another goal , please, PLEASE

Come on U DEVILS give us another goal , please, PLEASE

Giants seem to have stepped up a gear this period

Good D work by Devils clearing their zone

Lyle save after tons of pressure from Giants

Devils icing @ 27:18

DEvils penalty - Adams - hooking @ 27:33

Save Lyle @ 27:01

KILL DEVILS KILL

Devils penalty @ 29:12 - K Smith - slashing

Giants 5 on 3 for 23 secs

Adams returns

Good PK from Devils

Lyle point bla nk save from Mason

Lyle keeping Devils in front

Lyle covers puck @ 30:34

Another Lyle save @ 31:09

Devils back to FS

Devils icing @ 31:41

Keefe frustration beginning to show

Lyle save @ 32:34

Devils icing @ 32:57

Lyle save followed by a Devils icing

Devils should convert the rebounds given by Murphy

Lyle save @ 34:08

Lyle saves from Clarke

Burrows shoots wide

Big Murphy save denies Dobben again

Scott Dobben having a good game say texters

Apologies - server problems nothing much happenned at end of 2nd period

End of 2nd Period DEVILS 1 Giants 0

I wander how many are following this game on MNL

Our bandwidth is huge but we are continously excceding it.

Server staff are monitoring and trying to help us out

Devils in some ways lucky to be still in front as Giants came hard at them in that period although Devils finished the period strongest

Giants back on the ice

In view of server problems I will also be updating on twitter

Evening, Chris here, I hate twitter so i'm going to risk this imploding on me :)

3rd period has started, not a lot to report other than a couple of saves from Murphy

I think the twitter doofer for MNL is @infernomnl if that means anything to anyone

Giants penalty timed at 42:38, Kuiper 2mins for Interference

Attendance on the gamesheet down as 1501, seems quite good for a midweek game

Adams hits the pipework :( So close!

Giants back to full strength, but who cares...

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL

Devils 2nd goal timed at 45:02, Adams from Vanderveeken :D

It could be very quiet as i'm just taking OJ's updates from twitter, apologies for any of you across the pond who need quicker updates!

47:35 played, not sure what the stoppage was for. Additional assist on our 2nd goal goes to Pierce, should now read... Devils 2nd goal timed at 45:02, Adams from Vanderveeken and Pierce

Devils penalty timed at 47:49, Vanderveeken 2mins for interference

Hill has taken a stick to the face we think, not sure if he's down or not, just getting odd texts now

We're back underway at the big blue tent, no penalties called for the Hill incident, but 1min of Vanderveekens penalty to kill

Giants score :(

Giants first goal timed at 49:04, Dowd from Rebek and Mason - PPG

Puck out of play and then Devils offside, I assume somewhere around the 50min mark

That offside was timed at 50:11, 10mins for the Devils to score a couple more goals :P

Pierce very very close but Murphy makes the save, now it's the Giants turn to attack and Lyle makes the save :D

Devils icing timed at 52:10

Devils offside again :(

Pelle wasn't this physical when he played for us, blatent check from behind goes uncalled, Devils fans unhappy...

Aaaand the Devils are offside again, not sure what time though sorry

Devils called for icing again at 54:30

Devils regain possession at the faceoff then get called for icing again... Lots of icings and offsides

Devils penalty timed at 55:10, Pierce 2mins for interference

Big couple of saves from Lyle...

And another save!

Another save! Vanderveeken playing well on this pk!

Massive scramble infront of lyle, Devils manage to clear the puck much to our fans relief!

Devils penalty timed at 56:42, Frank 2mins for slashing :(

I guess that leaves us with about 30seconds of 5on3 to kill? Come on Devils!

Pierce back for the Devils, 1:30ish of pk to kill!

Lyle save timed at 57:53, 49seconds of pk remains

Giants called a timeout when the 5on3 began apparently, only just spotted that on twitter!

Frank is back \o/ Devils full strength! Almost into the final minute!

Devils called for icing at 59:46

Very very quiet, I assume it's all over and everyone is celebrating

Yes! It's all over, Devils win 2-1 :)

Giants man of the match goes to Murphy

Ben Davies gets the Devils player of the month award, whilst man of the match goes to Lyle

That's all from me, thanks to OJ for struggling through the server implosions, Chris out.