Dingle hat-trick but Flyers lose again to Clan

A season long struggle to get the better of the Renfrew side produced an all-too familiar final score and, more worrying for Flyers, it saw more goals leaked.

The team has now given up 26 goals in the last four games – six to Sheffield, seven to Manchester, five to Belfast and now eight to their regional rivals.

Flyers have also won just two of their last eight games, and need to find some form, and momentum, in the weeks leading up to the play-offs.

The fans who packed the arena were treated to a thrilling start as the teams traded goals in the opening period.

Ryan Dingle fired a hat-trick for Fife but still emerged on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline at the first break. Corey Cowick gave Clan the edge netting his own rebound.

Braehead then struck with two goals in quick succession early in the second, Cowick getting his second and then going on to seal his own hat-trick to make it 7-3.

Fife rallied again, and strikes from Carlo Finucci and Matt Sisca cut the gap to just two goals.

Scott Pitt’s second of the night proved to a killer, and eventually sealed the points for Clan who are now closing in on the conference title and the seeded play-off place that comes with it.

Flyers now face a tough weekend double header against Dundee Stars.

The teams meet in Kirkcaldy on Saturday with the return on Tayside on Sunday – and they simply must take points to keep their own play-off drive on course.