Match Night Live

Good Afternoon on this very exciting Challenge CUP Final Day.

Join me (Russky) from 5:30pm for all the build up excitement and live unrivalled text commentary once the puck drops.

If you want to be part of this coverage please email your prediction and or comments to matchnightlive@gmail.com and will do our best to post them during our coverage provided they are broadcastable and not libellous.

Until then I hope you enjoy your afternoon.

Croeso - Welcome to our coverage the 2018 Challenge Cup Final.

Russky here in the hosting hot seat.

I am eagerly looking forward to this game. We also have our texter Phil Egan keeping tabs on the game for us. His job made alot easier now with the WIFI now installed and operating at the IAW.

Warm up late to get started So maybe a delayed face off on the game proper.

Mike Hicks and Pavel Halas are the scheduled refs tonight.Danny Beresford and Ilia Kisil are the Linos.

The first prediction has come in and its Dai Rees who reckons on a Devils 5-3 win, after a nervy start for the Devils.

Devils have Mark Louis and Luke Piggott as scratches today.

There are three other games being played tonight so I will bring you the latest scores in those during the period breaks.

Neither Sheffield or Manchester playing tonight so nothing to worry about with them.

Belfast are in green shirts black shorts, the Devils are in Black shirts with red shorts

Hazel has been in touch with her prediction, a close game with the Devils winning 4-3

Yes the thaw is well in progress here in the Valleys and the roads are now driveable.

Joey Martin will be looking to be adding to his 74 points haul this season with 25 goals and 49 assists

Devils have an advantage of having a multi challenge cup winner in Matt Myers

The Warm up has now finished.

Layne Ulmer is also one to watch and has a big game temperament.

Belfast players to look out for are Darcy Murphy Brendan Connolly and Blair Riley on offence, Jim Vandermeer, Sebastian Sylvestre and Spiro Goulakos on defence.

Personally I think the Devils will win by two goals.

Lights Down at the IAW

Congrats to Josh Elliot who got married yesterday in Las Vegas. He is gutted to be missing the game but he does have a pretty good excuse! He is going for a Devils 5-4 OT win.

pre game video in progress, Paul Sullivan has been busy again, putting it together.

Giants introduced onto the ice.

Pat also goes for a Devils win at 3-1

Before tonights game, Andrew Lord appealed to the Devils fans to voice their support and make some noise and become the teams 7th man on the ice.

Devils now take to the ice.

Anthem time

texter says an impeccable rendition of the National Anthem around the Arena.

The crowd in fine voice for both teams.

we are underway

Giants start well

Devils still finding their skates in this game

Devils yet to pose a real threat to Whistle in the Giants goal

Fournier shoots wide

Giants offside

neutral zone face off

GGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL # 1

Layne Ulmer scores

goal review

in progress

it was scored @ 2:46

goal stands

game restarts

Martineli shot deflected wide.

Benti and Asselin on a 2 on 1

chance goes begging

Devils working hard on Defence

Faryna and Morrisette working hard

nothing comes of it

Face off in the Giants zone

Bowns makes a pad save

Giants having better of exchanges despite the scoreline

Benti has a shot blocked

Batch has a shot blocked now

game time 5:54 mins

Martinelli with a a big hit

Strachan robs the puck from a giants player

2 devils player collide mid ice

Devils offside

Bowns save from Devils turnover

game time 8:10

Martinelli making a nuisance of himself

Seviano loses his balance and falls on the ice, Devils clear up ice pad but called for icing

Face off in the Devils zone

Devils passing game misfiring a little

Faryna fires wide after a solo foray into giants D zone

very fast pace to this game

Fournier shoots straight at Whistle

Benti and Ulmer have 2 on 1

but cant make most of chance

Bows saves and rebound cleared

Faryna with a shot then handbags

Faryna and Martinelli exchanging shoves

Both Martinelli and Faryna get 2 minutes for roughing @ 13:49

Fournier and rutherford tusseling, Fournier gets the puck

Sylvestre and Reddick clash

Reddick gets 2 minutes for interference

giants offside

correction Fournier hooking @ 15:00

Devils lets kill this pen

Devils PK working ok

Belfast pass goes astray

Devils FS

Belfast getting away with alot of holding

Martin denied by a late poke check

Belfast delayed pen

Hotham shoots over whistles goal

Jeff Mason gets 2 minutes for tripping @19:12

Devils shot comes of the post

Devils thought they had scored but no they hadnt

buzzer goes to end 1st period

it sure is feisty

Latest scores: MKL 3 Fife 1; Edinburgh 1 Dundee 1; Guildford 0 Coventry 0.

Phil Egan says Devils creating most good plays. Seviano seems to be only Giant making an effort.Somebody needs to 'batter' Martinelli, who is acting a goat as per usual!

waiting on 1st period SOGs

Devils will start 2nd still on PP for 1 minute 48 seconds

SOGs Devils 10 Giants 9

CORRECTION:1:12 remaining on PP into 2nd

teams coming back to the ice.

getting ready to start 2nd.

and we are off and running.

early Devils pressure

is cleared by Giants

Morrisette fires at Whistle

Giants FS

Devils fail to clear effectively

giants fire over Bowns' goal

Whistle fails to gather under pressure from Martin

Face off in the Giants zone

Paris shot gets padded away

Benedict scores for Giants

Come on you Devils

Giamts Pen 2 minutes for hooking for Goulakos @24:52

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL #2 Fournier assist Martin PPG

Whistle prevents a third then

Face off in the Devils zone

Bowns saves

Handbags

Connolly sits a pen for GIants 2 minutes for slashing

Devils still on PP

Connolly pen at 25:54

Fournier goal assist Martin at25:03

Faryna not called for interferance

he collided with Goulakos

Connolly shoots wide

Whistle saves his team again

Rutherford scored it assist Seviano and Towe @29:57

Giants pen 2 minutes for hooking Rutherford at 30:20

Goulakos and Hotham exchanging words

Devils havent got their PP in full flow yet

Fournier shot blocked in front of Whistle

25 secs left on PP

Giants FS

Devils pen Crowder 2 minutes for tripping

puck cleared by Strachan

crower pen at 32:37

Devils having to defend on PK

Shot block by Morrisette

Devils FS

Connolly shot blocked

rebound cleared

Giants score

goal to be reviewed

scored by Ferland goal stands

@ 35:34

Come on you Devils!!!!!

Paris shoots straight into Whistle's pads

handbags in front of whistle

Myers and Connolly

Face off in the Giants zone

Giants have momentum at moment

Bowns saves

Giants player collides with Bowns

by Riley

Bowns seems ok

2:15 remains in 2nd

texter says giants getting bounce of puck

in final minute of period

Devils offside

Devils need to re-focus and re-group

Giants had a chance but Devils just clear in time

buzzer goes to end period

lots of verbals at end of period

Devils need to regain their composure

getting riled by Rutherford and Martinelli.

Benti will sit a pen at start of 3rd period 2 minutes for roughing @40:00

SOGs Devils 12 Giants 10 22:19 overall

RESULT: MKL 5 Fife 2

Latest scores: Edinburgh 2; Dundee 6; Guildford 2 Coventry 1

Phil Egan says a feisty 2nd period after the Giants with two goals and guilty of multiple infringements,most of which going unpunished. Devils need to re-focus and stop getting drawn into their game plants. There are a couple that Bowns would want back. Lots to do in the 3rd but its not over yet.

I think that incident involving Faryna and Goulakos was an unfortunate coming together with no malice intended.

I am sure the GIants supporters will see it differently.

Devils start on PK in the 3rd

and we are underway

Myers gets crowded out

Giants on attack

Devils break but it lost its zip there

Bowns makes a pad save

Devils still on PK

Devils Offside

Devils fans making themselves heard

Devils FS

Devils finding it difficult to find their rhythm

Bowns saves at back door

Face off in the Devils zone

Face off set again

Devils having difficulty in setting up there plays

Giants offside

Giants score Matt Towe scores

a huge test of character now for the Devils

Bowns saves on a 1 on 1 with Connolly

Devils need to keep their shape and discipline

Belfast seem hungrier and want the puck more

Face off in the Giants zone

Come on you Devils

Devils having to resort to long shots making it easy for Whistle

Face off in the Giants zone

Whistle saves from Pope, who was set up by Strachan

Bowns saves from Sylvestre

Fournier fires one across Whistle's crease

Giants offside

neutral ice face off

game time 50:30

icing called against the Giants

Face off in the Giants zone

Fournier ices puck

Face off in the Devils zone

Martin shooots Whistle saves with his pads

Face off in the Giants zone

Whistle saves

Ulmer was waiting for a rebound that didnt come

Face off in the Giants zone

Giants score through Darcy Murphy

game time 52:30

Belfast high forechecking game forcing turnovers

that last giants goal was a prime example

I hope that the Giants havent shown the rest of the League how to play the Devils

Sylvestre sits 2 minutes for high sticks @55.11

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL #3 Morrisette assist Fournier 55:16

ploy by Keefe to request review of goal to waste time

Rutherford goes offiside with empty net gaping

Whistle saves from Benti

Face off in the Giants zone

EMPTY NET GOAL for Belfast

@ 56:41

Bench pen too many men @ 57:20

Empty netter scored by Ferland

Belfast on PP still

Hotham deflects Martins shot wide

Inside final minute

35seconds remaining

whistle saves

game over. Belfast win the Challenge Cup

Thanks to our Texter Phil Egan for his hard work.

Final Score Edinburgh 4 Dundee 9

Final Score Guildford 4 Coventry 1

Devils MOM Jake Morrisette.

Giants MOM Matt Towe

Thats it from me tonight, join us next saturday as the Edinburgh Capitals come to the IAW

Good Night all. Nos Da Pawb