Matt Bissonnette's derby double gives Leeds Knights New Year bragging rights over former club Sheffield Steeldogs

The Knights headed to Ice Sheffield on the back of a 6-4 home loss to the Steeldogs on Saturday but were good value for their 4-2 win in the return fixture.

Matt Bissonnette proved the difference-maker for the visitors, producing a moment of magic in both the second and third periods.

The win saw the third-placed Knights close the gap on the Steeldogs to five points with two games in hand, the hosts missing an opportunity to leapfrog leaders Swindon Wildcats to go top of the standings for the first time this season.

Leeds will now turn their attention to the first leg of their NIHL National Cup semi-final at Swindon on Saturday, while their hosts head to Bristol Pitbulls in the league.

With only one power-play goal to show for their efforts in the previous eight games, the Knights made the most of the man advantage when it came their way inside the first two minutes.

A simple move saw San Dunn carry the puck out the Leeds zone before finding Innes Gallacher on the right boards. He squared to Finley Bradon, who took a couple of touches before sliding the puck under Brady Parker in the Steeldogs net with just 84 seconds gone.

In front of a near sell-out crowd, the Steeldogs came back strongly, Bair Gendunov, CJ Garcia and Nathan Ripley all forcing saves from Sam Gospel.

But their pressure paid off when slick interplay between Walker Sommer and Gendunov saw the former fire past Gospel at 5.07.

Kyle Watson showed neat skill to round a Knights’ defenceman but Gospel again stood tall, as he did to thwart Jonathan Phillips when he drove the net in the 10th minute.

But a slashing call on Bailey Perre presented the hosts with a power-play opportunity that they made the most of when Garcia’s blast through traffic saw the puck fall kindly for Ripley to tap home at 13.06.

It was another power-play opportunity that saw Leeds get back on level terms in the 19th minute, Liam Peyton unleashing a one-timer from the top of the right circle into the top left-hand corner of Parker’s net.

Just after the halfway mark, former Steeldogs’ forwardBissonnette produced something out of nothing to put the Knights ahead, driving down the left and rounding the net before squeezing the puck in at Parker’s left-hand post.

Leeds came close to extending their lead when Peyton circled to the right of the net and fired past Parker only to hit the crossbar.

The Steeldogs were grateful to the pipework again in the closing moments of the second period when Kieran Brown saw his effort hit the inside of Parker’s right-hand post and then trundle along the goal-line, hitting the other post and away to safety.

In the third period, Brown again went close when his stinging shot cannoned up off Parker and bounced towards the goal-line before it was cleared.

Jonathan Kirk and Bailey Yates were denied by Gospel at the other end and shortly after the Knights killed off a boarding call on Edgars Vengis they doubled their lead.

Good work by Brown on the halfway mark saw him find Bissonnette, who drove down the right before cutting inside and, after patiently biding his time, he slid the puck through Parker’s legs at 52.05.

The Steeldogs pushed back, denied from making it a one-goal game again when Gospel somehow spread himself wide enough to deny Gendunov when one-on-one.