Hull Seahawks 1 Leeds Knights 6: Clinical Knights blast derby rivals away to stay in NIHL National title frame

It was the perfect response from Leeds – who face Sheffield Steeldogs at home on Saturday – having lost 2-0 at bottom club Solway Sharks last season.

Import forwards Liam Peyton and Arturs Mickevics led the way with two goals apiece, with Sam Dunn and Finley Bradon starting and finishing the scoring for the visitors.

Brock Bartholomew replied for the hosts at Hull Ice Arena, but the result was rarely in doubt as the Seahawks produced a subdued performance, head coach Matty Davies admitting afterwards that his team were outplayed and out-battled.

In a trypically hostile derby atmosphere on the east coast Leeds quickly found the perfect way to quieten the home crowd when they took the lead through Dunn at 6.01, the Canadian defenceman breaking down the left to create a two-on-one which saw him exchange passes with Matt Bissonnette before sliding the puck into the gaping net with netminder Dmitri Zimozdra already committed.

Josh Hodgkinson was tossed from the game in the eighth minute for taking Balint Pakozdi to task for goalie interference and dropping the gloves.

Just over a minute later, Liam Peyton blew through centre ice to leave his man trailing before creating time and space for himself to fire over Zimozdra’s right shoulder and into the roof of the net.

Hull were finding it difficult to create any quality chances and paid the price when Leeds went further ahead in the 18th minute.

Peyton cut in from the right and found Arturs Mickevics free at the top of the left circle from where he unleashed a rocket into the top left-hand corner of Zimozdra’s net.

Hull came out hard in the second and after going close a couple of times got their reward when they reduced the deficit just nine seconds into a power play brought about by a tripping call on Dunn.

It was Bartholomew who was quickest to react to his own long-range effort which cannoned off the glass behind the goal and fell out in front of Sam Gospel’s net where he was on hand to force the rebound home at 25.42.

It was another power play which brought the next goal five minutes later, this time for Leeds.

Ethan Hehir took a tripping call and it took his former team just 24 seconds to take advantage, Pakozdi and Peyton combining to set up Mickevics for his second from the left circle to make it 4-1 at 30.10.

A Svec piledriver cannoned off Gospel’s mask and dropped behind the Leeds goalie, but he was alert enough to swat it away.

Shortly after he required treatment after being downed by a collision with a Hull player, but was given the all-clear after a few minutes attention from the physio.

At the other end, Brown created room for himself cutting in from the right but his low shot was saved by Jordan McLaughlin’s outstretched left pad, the goalie having replaced Zimozdra in the 26th minute.

Hull needed something early in the third if they were to stand any chance of taking something from the game.

They thought they had it, too, when Bobby Chamberlain tipped in from in front off a Dylan Hehir throw on net, only to see it ruled out for a high stick.

Soon after, the hosts’ task got even harder when Peyton showed great strength and patience to skate round the back of the net before being allowed the time to turn and fire past McLaughlin to make it 5-1 at 45.20.

Shortly after, Dylan Hehir dropped the gloves with former Leeds team-mate Oli Endicott, but the game was long gone, Fin Bradon adding further gloss to the Knights’ fully-deserved victory when he back-handed home his own rebound to make it 6-1 at 57.47.

Leeds headed back home along the M62 having closed the gap on the Steeldogs to three points ahead of their derby meeting at Elland Road on Saturday. They closed to within five of leaders Swindon Wildcats, too, but having played one game more.

Hull get Saturday night off and will look to regroup ahead of their visit to Telford Tigers on Sunday.