GMB PANTHERS THROUGH TO THE CUP FINAL
A 3-1 win in the second leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final against arch rivals Sheffield booked a place against Cardiff in the final thanks to an aggregate 7-3 win over the Steelers
GMB Panthers coach Corey Neilson pulled Kevin Bergin onto the blueline to bolster the defence knowing Sheffield would have to come out hard to try to pull back the two goal deficit from the first leg. With his team playing well from netminder through defence to attack the plan worked sweetly and the Panthers go through to the final.
Work on the dates for the final is already underway and we will announce them as soon as possible.
A goal-less first period was followed by a Kevin Bergin goal and another Bruce Richardson before Steelers broke the excellent Kevin St Pierre's shut-out late in the period but there was no further scoring until the visitors pulled their keeper in the last minute in favour of the extra skater and although Panthers at first hit the post (for the third time in the game) Cameron Mann found the empty-net to send more than five thousand home fans away from the TrentFM Arena with wrap-around grins.
Corey Neilson and Cameron Mann give us their immediate post-match reactions on Panthers Radio with Xynomix, just click on the links from the home page.