EIHL round-up: Scottish teams fly high as Belfast stutter and Coventry make 'bad decisions'

Fife Flyers, Glasgow Clan and Dundee Stars delivered at home and on the road, while Adam Keefe’s champions continued on their muddled way with a blank weekend which took their losing streak to four games.

Fife overcame Coventry Blaze twice on a 4-3 scoreline to leave Danny Stewart lamenting about a sickening way to lose games. Glasgow Clan went into their weekend schedule under real pressure from the fan base after shipping six goals to Stars and falling apart against Fife. How things changed for the better as they overcame Guildford Flames on home ice and then took a short-benched side to Sheffield where they edged out Steelers 2-1.

They came up against a team on a ten-game winning run which included a 5-1 dismantling of Belfast the night before. Clan stuck to their game plan, and Nate Callen’s 34th minute goal proved to be the winner. There was controversy, however, as Steelers had a goal disallowed with four seconds left on the clock. Coach Aaron Fox insisted video footage showed the puck was over the line, but bottom line, said one - it should never have got to this stage.

Steelers remain top of the table, while Giants are currently to be found in eighth. If there is no reaction, expect changes to be made - zero points weekend are simply not tolerated across the Irish Sea.

As well as defeat in Sheffield, Giants also went down 4-2 in Altrincham where Cam Critchlow netted twice for Manchester Storm who currently sit third right behind Steelers and Cardiff. That’s kinda where Belfast would expect to be at worst. The champs have their work cut out restoring the ground lost in recent weeks.

Coventry are also looking to re-ignite. They sit tenth, three points behind Guildford but with two games in hand.

“It’s a long season, and a lot of hockey left to play,” said Danny Stewart. “We’re not playing bad, but we are making bad decisions and it is up to me to fix things.”

Adam Keefe might have similar thoughts as the season heads into the busy, crucial December programme.