'Our backs are to the wall' admits Sheffield Steelers' top line forward

Scott Allen celebrates his goal at Coventry on Sunday. Picture by Scott Wiggins

Scott Allen admits Steelers have lost the edge that they had previously enjoyed over other teams in the EIHL.

A series of defeats has seemingly led to Sheffield falling out of obvious contention for the title.

Forwards have found it difficult to find the net and Steelers have currently scored 25 goals fewer than leaders Belfast Giants.

Allen broke a six-game personal goal drought at Coventry Blaze on Sunday, but his team's 3-4 overtime defeat meant there was little to celebrate.

Scott Allen v Fife. Picture: Dean Woolley

"It is pretty frustrating for the group right now," he said.

"We feel like we are working hard but making some key mistakes in a game and it ends up in the back of our net.

"Meanwhile, we can't seem to buy a goal. But that's hockey sometimes."

He said the locker room had to knuckle down and progress with "our backs against the wall."

Sheffield's form is attracting a lot of online criticism and Allen, 32, admits: "Clearly we haven't been playing our best hockey.

"We established the level we want to play on when we were on our winning streak earlier in the season.

"We haven't been able to bring it up to that level.

"Other teams are bringing more compete and we have got to match that every night.

"We go back to the drawing board, keep trying and plugging away."

Sheffield don't have a winning record against the teams ahead of them in the division, but Allen still feels they had handled themselves and at some point beaten every team in the league.

"Our last six to eight games of the season are against the top teams so we basically decide our own fate and if we can bring our level up to them for those games I think we still have a shot," he said.

The Canadian, who played 62 games in the AHL, set himself a point-a-game target for this season.

He is currently on 20 goals and 18 assists after 50 games.

The puck had "dried up going in the net" for a while, he said but added: "All you can do is keep trying to play your game and take the puck to the net.

"I set a goal for myself a point a game I have a little work to do to catch back up after the last couple of weeks but it's all about the team winning and that is how I gauge my success."

Fox said while he and Allen would both like to see more in terms of goals from the top line, the skater was always a consistent worker who did his best work in the hard areas.

"Of course we'd like more production there, there's no question about it. But when he isn't scoring he is creating."