Bisons ride roughshod over Jets

ICE HOCKEY

The last three quarter-finalists for the Benson and Hedges Cup were confirmed at the weekend, with Fife Flyers, Newcastle Warriors and Basingstoke Bison completing a line-up of the top eight Premier Division teams.

Basingstoke needed to beat Slough Jets, who had held them 6-6 the previous weekend. A flu-ridden Jets side bowed to the Bisons' strength, losing 8-5. Stuart Heasman's goal after 37 minutes to make the score 4-2 was the first of five unanswered goals by Basingstoke.

The game of the weekend in the Cup, however, was about pride rather than qualifying. Nottingham Panthers, without Simon Hunt and Graham Waghorn, welcomed their local rivals Sheffield Steelers, who were icing their new import, Justin George.

Paul Adey scored the only goal of the first period to give Nottingham the lead they were worth. Tony Hand and Ken Priestlay put Sheffield in front in the second period to set up a thrilling finale. Nottingham wasted a five-on-three chance to equalise and Mike Blaisdell hit the post with two minutes left, leaving Sheffield victorious in a game that only saw two lines iced all night.

BENSON AND HEDGES CUP (Saturday): Fife 14 Paisley 3; Blackburn 8 Newcastle 10; Milton Keynes 6 Manchester 9; Nottingham 1 Sheffield 2; Swindon 3 Guildford 7; Basingstoke 8 Slough 5; Medway 2 Bracknell 8. (Sunday): Murrayfield 1 Blackburn 8; Newcastle 4 Fife 7; Manchester 3 Humberside 9; Telford 11 Milton Keynes 9; Guildford 6 Peterborough 6; Sheffield 7 Swindon 4; Cardiff 16 Medway 0; Bracknell 5 Basingstoke 0.