Cardiff Devils beat Flames to end winless run
Cardiff Devils halted their winless run as late goals secured a 3-1 win at Guildford Flames in the Elite League on Sunday evening.Devils had suffered a fourth successive defeat 24 hours earlier in losing 5-3 at home to Coventry Blaze.Face off at Guildford Spectrum was delayed for nearly 90 minutes because of issues with a section of the ice.Zach O'Brien gave Devils the lead in the first period before Daniel Catenacci levelled in the second period.But Jarrod Gourley and O'Brien' second of the game sealed victory for Devils in the final period.Devils next face Sheffield Steelers in the second leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final on Wednesday, 12 February.Steelers were 5-3 winners in the first leg with the winners facing Belfast Giants or Nottingham Panthers in the final.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Marc Sneyd won his personal battle but Warrington lost the cup final
Having been voted the man of the match in three Challenge Cup finals, Marc Sneyd should be considered one of the great half-backs of his generation. But, having now lost as many finals as he has won, and been repeatedly overlooked by England, the 34-year-old is in danger of leaving the game without the silverware his consistent class deserves. Moments before Hull KR inflicted a last-gasp 8-6 defeat on his Warrington side, Sneyd snared 31 of the 37 votes from Wembley's press benches. The other six went to his opposite number, Mikey Lewis, who then kicked the winning conversion with less than two minutes left. Sneyd undoubtedly came out on top in the battle of the half-backs, schooling a player a decade his junior. 'Marc Sneyd was just brilliant,' said the crestfallen Warrington coach Sam Burgess. 'I knew during the week he was going to be: he turned into a different bloke. He controlled the game.' Winning coach Willie Peters admitted Sneyd was 'exceptional'. He emulated Sean Long's achievement of winning the Lance Todd Trophy three times, but Lewis finally delivered with just seconds left. For much of the game, it looked like that moment was never going to come. Sneyd kicked Hull KR close to submission, his towering bombs plummeting from leaden skies, pinning the Robins back, his deep kicks forcing drop-outs galore. Rovers were getting nowhere, Warrington's defence was awesome. When it was his turn, Lewis tried everything. He kicked bombs, torpedoes and wobblers. He sent grubbers in behind the defensive line, even the occasional lob into no man's land. Warrington dealt with it all. Sneyd's only two England appearances came in the 2022 World Cup, after which Shaun Wane replaced him with … Lewis. The assumption was the Oldham veteran's time had gone. Not a bit of it. On a miserable day – surely the coldest final since the drudgefest between Wigan and Hull in 2013 – Warrington ground their way towards the hooter while 20,000 Robins urged Lewis to pluck a rabbit from his hat. He stuck to the left side while halfback partner Tyrone May created even less from the right. In contrast, as the tussle went on, George Williams abandoned his right-side station to play a traditional stand-off role, repeatedly looping round either side behind Sneyd, putting doubt in defenders' minds. In pouring rain, centres were there to drive the ball out of their half in exit sets, jam in and tackle, chase kicks like their careers depended on it, and only worry about creating if the field opened up. Rodrick Tai and Toby King did it valiantly for Warrington, Rovers utilised Peta Hiku's size and converted second rower James Batchelor was well cast as bodyguard for Lewis on the Robins' left. 'We wanted to throw more shape, move the ball a little bit more but the weather hampered that to a degree,' said Batchelor. 'We showed in that last 15 minutes when we got a bit of early ball and made some metres, getting us going forward when there wasn't much happening down the middle. 'It was the same for both teams. It was a grind but that's how we like to play and see if teams can go through that with us. We said at half-time this could and probably would be a 78th, 79th minute game, and that's what happened. With about 15 or 20 minutes to go I said: 'This is where it's won or lost: we've got to dig in.' I was confident we'd have another chance to win it, and we did.' While Sneyd was kicking the soul out of Rovers, the Warrington pack were defending their way to the cup. And then it happened: straight after knocking on and then being caught in-goal, Lewis sent the drop-out a gasp-inducing 55 metres and rookie Wolves winger Aaron Lindop could only swat it another 20 metres into touch. Momentum shifted. Rovers began to believe. With a sparkle missing all afternoon, Hiku flicked a ball on to winger Tom Davies. That led to a penalty. The next set ended with May kicking behind, Hiku diving and missing the ball, Lindop landing on it more like Peter Kay than Tom Daley, and Davies touching down. Cue the first of five extraordinary explosions of noise from the red end of Wembley: try, video ref confirmation, Lewis' conversion, tackling Warrington into touch and then the hooter. 'We spent 25 minutes on our own line but were only four points down,' said Hiku. 'We started believing. With 16 minutes to go we had a set and went through them a bit easily. If we narrowed the errors down I knew we had an opportunity. The last time I looked at the clock there was six minutes to go and I thought: 'Yep, only four points down, plenty of time.' We train for these kind of things: five-minute cycles when you're fatigued and 10 points down, things like that. A lot can happen. We get put in scenarios, the worst situations. That's why we had the belief.' Captain Elliot Minchella had talked of the coaches 'taking us into very dark places' in training to prepare them. To that end, Peters had Jamie Peacock speak to the team on the eve of the final about enduring discomfort. 'I tell the players to put others first because it makes you feel good but in the end you've got to do it for yourselves, knowing if you do it will make other people feel great,' said Peters. 'East Hull people are tough, gritty. You don't get anything easy out there, you've got to work for it. JP spoke about coping with being uncomfortable, which we were for long periods. You get through to the other side. Nothing beats this.' Warrington must have felt like the boxer knowing he was winning on points on every judge's scorecard as he entered the 12th round only to be hit flush on the chin with seconds left of the bout. Lewis rather over-enthusiastically told BBC viewers: 'We're tough as fuck.' Peters was rather more considered: 'We got away with it.' The Challenge Cup finals will be at Wembley on 30 May next year, but don't be surprised if the 1895 Cup is not. Only about 3,000 of the 63,278 stayed to see York beat Featherstone 5-4 to win the lower league knockout finale. After just two penalties apiece in 80 minutes, skipper Liam Harris hit his second drop-goal attempt perfectly to secure the trophy for upwardly mobile York, to the delight of their few hundred fans. Having only sold a couple of thousand tickets to the two clubs, the RFL thinks the 1895 would be better as a curtain-raiser but the BBC wants to air the Women's Challenge Cup final before the men's event. The sight of Featherstone's kickers warming up into an in-goal area full of celebrating Hull KR players was not good. Returning to a stand-alone final at Blackpool or a small Super League ground might be wise. Almost two hours after the hooter, the Rovers players left the dressing rooms in smart blue suits, Batchelor clutching a pizza and Minchella the cup itself, most with their medals hanging round their necks. All their half dozen overseas players, including Hiku, were soaking up their first Wembley experience. It was a tough day for Warrington's Australian prop Luke Yates, who lost his third final by an aggregate of just five points. Poor lad. Incidentally, all 10 scores in Saturday's showpiece – the lowest-scoring Challenge Cup final since 1970 – and the try-less 1895 Cup that followed, were by Englishmen. While Warrington star Paul Vaughan ended on the losing side again, his former Italy pack-mate Brenden Santi was one of five imports lifting silverware for York. The Warrington utility back Oli Leyland hobbled down the tunnel 10 minutes before half-time. Unfortunately, he hadn't been on the pitch but was wearing a hoodie, his knee strapped up. The prospect of the Leyland brothers, Oli and Bill, facing each other at Wembley vanished when Oli suffered the same fate as Bill last year, tearing his ACL, his season over just as Bill's took off. Michael McIlhorum's surprise return as Rovers starting hooker meant neither Leyland brother ended up playing. At least Bill got to wear his kit and collect a medal, albeit looking suitably conflicted. Their time may come again. Also watching on from the stands was cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, who has been in terrific form at full-back since his early season move to Hull KR from calamitous Catalans. 'I'd been at the Dragons for eight years and always had the same coach,' said the French international. 'I wanted to learn and see new things, be involved with new teammates in a new culture. I wanted to be out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. It's the excitement of the new for me. I feel like I'm back. The standards are really high. It's a special club.' Follow No Helmets Required on Facebook
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Keefe siblings united by hockey despite Atlantic separation
When Adam Keefe signed up to play for the Belfast Giants in 2011, he couldn't have imagined how lifechanging that decision was going to had been hoping to follow in his older brother Sheldon's footsteps and make it to the National Hockey League (NHL), the ultimate goal of every Canadian who laces up the four years older than Adam, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1999 and went on to make his NHL debut the following season, but ultimately his playing career was curtailed because of injury."It's hard to get to the NHL and I was lucky enough to play at least some exhibition games and play at that level and get a taste of it," said Adam."Ultimately, I fell short and was getting a little tired. I was getting a little older and I wanted to see the world and experience something new."With our last name being Keefe, it was always a kind of a bucket list thing to visit the homeland."Finally, the opportunity came through a Facebook message from the coach of the Giants, Doug Christiansen. It was my first chance and I jumped on it."I thought it would just be a one-year deal and I'd probably go back home and do ultimately what I did here, probably in Toledo." However, the younger Keefe sibling would never make that trip to won Elite League in his first season with the Giants and captained the side to another title victory in then he was well established as a leader and a fan favourite, a team-mate that you could rely on to drop the gloves and defend his brothers on the transition to coach in 2017 was a seamless move for the Giants. It kept the line of succession in place, despite no prior experience in the followed has been the most sustained run of success in the club's twenty-five-year trophies - four league championships, five Challenge Cups and a Play-off title - in six full seasons (two were lost due to Covid-19), including a Grand Slam in 2023."I just fell in love with the city and winning and the fans here. Obviously, I met my wife and have two girls, so I'm locked into Northern Ireland."It's been a great experience for me and a fun one."Giants' fans echo mutual support for 'the heartbeat' of the Belfast side and they recently showed their appreciation at Adam's testimonial when his number 47 shirt was retired, the ultimate honour for a player. 'I wasn't going to mess with him much more' Sheldon made his first trip to Belfast for the event. Since his playing days came to an end, Adam's older brother made his way up through the coaching ranks all the way back to the was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019-2024 and has just finished his first season in charge of the New Jersey Devils, leading them to the first impressions of Belfast have been favourable."I love the city, just walking around and being here in the building and getting a feel for the hockey part of it."You can see why there's so much passion here for Giants hockey and why Adam fell in love with the city and the team."Growing up together just outside of Toronto, both Keefe brothers were soon on the hockey pathway."I don't know about brotherly rivalry so much," explained Sheldon."I mean, there's maybe enough separation with four years that I think I had my way for a lot of the time."But it maybe contributed to some of the edge that he ended up developing in playing."Certainly, as Adam got older, it was very clear I wasn't going to mess with him much more."We were playing hockey, fighting in the basement, competing in the driveway and on the street and he quite often was playing with my friends and having to try to compete."Adam agreed, "A lot of times it's him and his friends playing street hockey and you're four years younger than those guys."You got to work extra hard and sometimes you're going to get knocked down."So, if you want to stay in there, you got to learn to fight back and I certainly did that."Obviously, he's provided a great example for me and set a very high standard that is difficult to try to keep up with."He took care of me through critical years when I was a teenager and set me on a good path."Then to follow his career while I was trying to make the NHL, to follow his coaching career and see that he just kind of kept winning right from the time he started."Then ultimately to claw his way back to the NHL as a coach becoming one of the youngest coaches in the league and then to coach arguably the biggest hockey club in the world. That's very special." 'His life is all about the hockey' Adam's success as a coach has come as no surprise to Sheldon. In his words, "life's been all about hockey"."I think we can both say we would be a little lost without the game."If I look at my own transition into coaching, when you maybe first get into it, for me, at least, I didn't know what I was doing at all."But you're relying on your competitiveness, your passion for the game, your work ethic, all the things that help you play at a high level, and that gives you a strong foundation."I knew Adam was going to commit and be all in on everything that he's doing and while learning and refining any skills that you need as a coach, you're going to have the respect of your players because of everything that you put in to help them and the team."He's been an absolute competitor and a guy that will do anything to win for his entire life."Sheldon has helped Adam out with player recruitment and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Belfast as a playing destination."I've followed enough to know the standard of the Elite League and that it just continues to improve and get better and better."Seeing the arena and seeing the city and community, it would be a great draw for players to come and get the life experience but still play great hockey."As I watch the young kids playing as well, there is lots of excitement about growing the game here too."Despite enjoying his Testimonial weekend where the Giants once again gave back to the community raising over £109,000 for the Northern Ireland Hospice, the new season is never far from Adam's mind."Champions League is right around the corner."August is going to come around pretty quick, and nobody cares about last year.'
BBC News
15 hours ago
- BBC News
In pictures: Fans celebrate Hull KR Challenge Cup victory parade
Thousands of fans have joined players, staff and coaches at Hull Kingston Rovers to celebrate the club's historic Challenge Cup win.A special bus parade started at Craven Park before it made its way through east Hull to Queen Victoria Square in the city centre. The Challenge Cup win marked the first time the Robins had secured the famous trophy since 1980. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
