The best way to end a dire season

With a bigger crowd in the building - some coming amid fears it may be theory last chance to see ice hockey in town for some time - and a nice buzz rinkside, they delivered a solid 60-minute game to, once again, defeat play-off chasing Manchester Storm; a team with everything to play for gunned down by a team with nothing left but pride.

It was a night of emotion with Todd Dutiaume’s jersey number retired, and Jack Wishart and Tom Muir stepping down after 28 years at the helm - an end of an era at Fife Ice Arena on and off the ice.

Hockey wise, it was also an enjoyable game. Flyers soaked up some pressure and lived on their wits at times -0 as they have done all season - but they also played with less pressure on their shoulders, and a bit more confidence on the puck.

They carved out some smashing chances before Storm grabbed the go-ahead goal at 13:23 with Alexis D’OPiust firing home from a neat pass off the back boards.

Flyers levelled with a sweet, flowing move - Carozza with the pass, Martineau with the finish at 15:20, and they more than made Storm work for the rest of the night.

The opening period had almost wound down when, with the fans yelling ‘shoot!’ on a powerplay, Austin Farley hit the net with 0.1 on the clock. His goal stood after a video review. Michael Cichy hoisted that lead to 3-1 at 20:53 only to see Stephen Johnson reply within seconds

Brodie Kay then came close to bagging his first pro goal - he just couldn’t get enough on the puck - before Fife struck again just after the half hour mark with a rare short-handed counter. Storm were turned over, and trailing man Jordy Stallard was calm as you like walking puck into the net off a Krenzelok pass.

Joe Morrow cur the gap to 4-3 in a free-flowing game with Fife’s performance hitting at what might have - could have - been and a very different season.

They took that lead into the third only to see Storm finally draw level after 44 minutes when Hughes netted on the backhand, with Cam Critchlow bagging an assist on his final game before hanging up his skates.

Into overtime and Fife saved the best for last as Charles Antoine Paiment sank the golden winner.A perfect end to a season otherwise best forgotten.