Dingle: We must win games - with or without reinforcements

Flyers have been hamstrung by injuries, illness and suspensions robbing them of key players in recent weeks, and coinciding with a run of seven consecutive defeats in the Gardiner Conference.

The club are currently holding talks with possible recruits but Dingle insists that the current crop cannot rely on being short-handed as an excuse for losing matches.

“It is an excuse - it just isn’t a good one,” the club captain told the Press.

“Our job is to take what we are given as a unit and try to get wins out of it.

“We’ve been short on numbers for a while but we’re here to win games and if we’re not, then we’re not doing our jobs.

“Whatever shape or form it is, we have to find a way to get the wins.

“Having said that, a lot of guys have been logging a lot of minutes that they are not used to, so injecting new blood in this line up will really help.

“It will help emphasis what we’re looking for as a squad because if you’re not doing your job then you might be riding that pine.

“But as long as we stick together and find a way, it really doesn’t matter who they bring.

“Right now we need to focus on what we are given as a group. This is what we have and we have to do our best to get those two points.”

Dingle was speaking after scoring a hat-trick in the emphatic 9-3 victory over Edinburgh Capitals on Boxing Day - a result which provided a much-needed two points to put an end to seven straight losses in the Gardiner Conference.

“We combined hard work and smart decision making and we did it for a full 60 minutes,” he said.

“During the losing streak we went on we showed glimpses of what we can do, but we didn’t do it for a full 60 minutes.

“Guys were going to the net and doing the right things, and it was nice to be rewarded with the puck finding the back of the net.

“It was nice to score three goals, but I wanted the two points for the team more - that’s what we needed most.

“Some nights you feel you do everything right and the puck just doesn’t find the back of the net.

“Then other nights you feel like you’ve made some mistakes but the puck just falls for you.

“It was great for the overall team to be rewarded and finally get in the win column.”

The consequence of their recent bad run is that Flyers now find themselves 11 points behind conference leaders Braehead Clan, with just two games in hand.

Dingle insists, however, that the current standings are not important.

“We have 30 games left,” he said. “We’ve done some amazing things and beaten some great teams this season - and we can definitely continue that and make a run for it.

“We’re only looking for position at the end of the year and hopefully the win over Edinburgh can be the jump start we need.”