Fife Flyers: three games left, one target, but one huge favour needed ...

Fife Flyers have to find ways of finding the net to win their remaining fixtures if they are to make the post-season competition.

A worrying lack of offensive firepower has hampered their season, and led to clusters of points slipping through their gloves.

The race for the eighth and final qualifying spot is between them and Glasgow Clan, and Sunday’s result put the Braehead side in the driving seat.

Clan have 35 points under their belt,and two games left. Flyers have 32 with three to play.

Clan’s maximum points total is 39, Fife’s is 38 - so they need a favour from Glasgow’s remaining opponents, Nottingham or Sheffield, possibly even both.

And Flyers also need to show some real character and win their remaining games away to Cardiff, home to Dundee Stars and then away to Guildford Flames. It’s by no means the easiest run in given their poor, poor results at the rinks in Wales and England this season.

And then there is the Clan hangover - how will the team respond after coming out so flat in a game where everything was on the line?

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: “There is a united front to keep on pushing. That’s the message from the coaches’ office.”

He also looked back over the month.

“Right up to the Challenge Cup final we were playing decent, committed hockey. The final itself and the illness that went through the team made it anti-climatic, and it has been difficult to pick ourselves back up.

“We played well against Nottingham and Cardiff, but on Sunday we came out flat and without the same intensity.

“We threw the kitchen sink at them in the second - we outshot them three to one - but could generate any offence, and our powerplay went ice cold. To not score on a five on three was frustrating.”

He added: “Our goals this season were to go deeper in the Challenge Cup and play the play-offs. The cup run was great exposure for the club and the fans got right behind it. To not make the play-offs would be a huge disappointment.”