Fife Flyers’ Challenge Cup bid may be over for another year, but there are games still to be played.

The club’s hopes of grabbing one of the two qualifying places in their group were formally extinguished as a result of Wednesday’s 3-2 penalty shoot out loss to Dundee Stars. While there were positives and a point from the game, it ended in another loss - the seventh on the spin as injuries and flu bug took their toll on the dressing-room.

Canadian forward Josh Winquist summed it up post game when he said: “It sucks we didn’t get the win - we have to find a way to win and got to find ways to score goals.”

That is Flyers’ season in a nutshell.

Johan Porsberger's return from injury is a boost for Fife Flyers (Pic: Derek Young)

placeholder image — Johan Porsberger's return from injury is a boost for Fife Flyers (Pic: Derek Young)

The cup qualifiers saw them twice shut out by Belfast but also score a thrilling overtime win over Giants after going head to head with them all night long. They have produced some solid periods of hockey but struggled to adapt when momentum shifts from them.

It is a team in transition in year one of a new direction. If Rome wasn’t built in a day, hockey clubs aren’t moulded in seven or eight weeks of action.

Results aside - and just two wins since the puck dropped on a competitive season is a statistic that has to be addressed, and quickly - the team has galvanised its support with a no nonsense physical style of play that is new, and it has enough hockey smarts within the dressing-room to suggest better days are ahead.

Winquist is a huge figure in the front line, and his MoM performance on Wednesday saw him cover every inch of the ice pad, and his partnership with a fit-again Johan Porsberger is key to delivering goals.

The team is driven by the work ethic of Drew McLean and Keaton Jameson, while Garet Hunt, Jeremy Masella and Didrik Svendsen bring a level of physicality the team hasn’t had before in the EIHL - Hunt already seems to be living rent free in the heads of many opposition supporters. The last time that happened was when Matt Nickerson iced over a decade ago.

Flyers have two cup ties left to play and both are against Glasgow Clan.

They need to post a win against their old rivals after two losses, and there is no better time than tonight (Friday) when the teams meet at Braehead Arena.

Flyers will be boosted by the debut of new import signing Gio Finoro who was unveiled at the first period break of the club’s game against Dundee Stars. The two-way centreman joins the club from IF Troja-Ljungby in the Swedish second tier- and will add depth to the roster with forward Justin Ducharme out after knee surgery.

He was due in town on Thursday, giving him a chance for a quick skate and to meet his new- team-mates before boarding the bus for the short journey along the M8.

Hunt also returns from a one-game ban, giving coach Russell more depth to work with.

“A new signing gives everyone a boost,” said Russell. “It has been tough with the volume of games we have had to deal with, the travel and the injuries. Throw in a flu bug and the guys were struggling - it has been a lot to juggle.

“We are making progress. In back to back games with Belfast we were right there with them until we let them get away in the third. It is a matter of consistency and sticking with it.

“We are only five games into the league season. We knew it was going to be something that would take time to adjust to, and that has been exasperated by the injury situation.”