Sunday, September 30, 2007 Elite League: Mobilx Newcastle Vipers 5-4 Sheffield Steelers (After penalties)
Saturday, September 29, 2007 Elite League: Hull Stingrays 1-4 Mobilx Newcastle Vipers

VIPERS came back from 4-1 down against the Sheffield Steelers on Sunday night to complete a four point weekend with a penalty shootout win.

A disastrous first period at the Metro Radio Arena saw the Vipers go 3-0 down within ten minutes. Then, after pulling a goal back, the Steelers restored their three-goal advantage.

However, braces from Derek Campbell, who coach Rob Wilson later described as "the best player in the league this weekend", and Colin Shields saw the game go into overtime and penalties.

And it was captain David Longstaff and his alternate, Jeff Hutchins, who netted past Jody Lehman to seal the win.

Warren Tait put the visitors ahead on 5.53 after Pavel Gomeniuk's attempted dump took a deflection and fell to Jonathan Phillips for the turnover.

And when Jez Lundin was binned for hooking, it was Ashley Tait who capitalised after Ryan MacDonald pushed a Rod Sarich slapshot to one side for the follow-up on 8.56.

Less than a minute later, it was 0-3, as the Steelers won a face off in the Vipers' territory and forced their way forward with Phillips netting to MacDonald's right.

Derek Campbell gave the home side some hope, though, when Gomeniuk's long pass from defence found the forward's charge past the defence and, having dragged Lehman across the face of his goal, then lifted the puck over the stranded goalie for 1-3 at 10.59.

The day seemed to take a dip for the worse for the Vipers on 18.58 when Hutchins picked a scrap with Steve Munn and came off decidedly worse, being grounded in seconds.

And then two minutes into the second period, Doug Sheppard popped up to score after a deflected Mark Thomas shot dropped behind MacDonald and the Vipers failed to clear.

However, three goals down, the Vipers took their chance to pull back when Phillips and Thomas were binned in quick succession to give the home side a two man advantage.

The deficit was reduced to two at 27.39 when Shields sent a slapshot through the crowd and past Lehman for 2-4.

Then again, with the Vipers on the power play once more, Lehman stopped from Derek Campbell and then from Sergiy Rublivsky, before Campbell returned for a second effort and lifted the puck over the goalie's leg for 3-4 at 32.08.

The pressure for the equaliser continued after the break and Shields popped up on the power play again at 42.48 for the equaliser, with an outstanding individual effort which sae him take the puck from his own goal line and back stick past Lehman.

Despite constant pressure, the winner failed to come, even in overtime, but Longstaff and Hutchins' penalties could not be matched by the visitors and the winning point went the way of the home side.

The previous night, the Vipers had put behind them last Saturday's disappointing result against league leaders Coventry, as they inflicted a fifth league defeat on the Hull Stingrays, to maintaining their challenge at the top of the league.

Derek Campbell got them of to the perfect start with the opening goal at 3.02. Sergiy Rublivsky double the visitors lead at 14.19. The home side did pull one back just over a minute later as Jeff Glowa found the net at 15.23. But, they were only back in the game for less than a minute as Colin Shields put the Vipers 3-1 up with a goal at 17.07.

Both teams created plenty of chances in the second period but the only goal, came the way of the Vipers as 27.07 as Pavel Gomenyuk netted. Neither team could add to their goal tally in the third period and the Vipers secured their fifth league win.