Turley: Pirates will approach opener with caution
The wait is finally over for Paisley Pirates players and fans alike as they prepare for their first competitive action of the season.
The Pirates make the short trip down to Kilmarnock to play Thunder in a Stewart Robertson Cup clash on Saturday.
And even though the hosts have endured a tough start to the season, with their young side on the end of some heavy defeats in the first few weeks, head coach Ian Turley insists he won’t be taking their opponents for granted.
Turley said: “We won’t be taking any notice of Thunder’s results so far.
“As we do against any opponent, we’ll treat Thunder with the utmost respect and rely upon our own performance to get us off to a good start in a competition from which we failed to qualify last season.
“There’s two teams going through from each group this season, but with Murrayfield and North Ayr also in the section, it will be no walkover.
“We’ve a few new guys making their competitive debuts, and it will be interesting to see how they perform in the heat of action.”
It will be a busy weekend for Pirates as they’re on the road again on Sunday when they head south to take on a strong-looking Solway Sharks at the Dumfries Ice Bowl.
The hosts have joined the SNL while remaining in the Northern Ice Hockey League and player- coach Adam Walker is expecting a tough battle against a side that has recorded some impressive results so far already this season.
Walker said: “It’ll certainly be a tough night in Dumfries.
“I anticipate that the Sharks will be occupying a spot at the top end of the league table and we will really have to put in a top notch performance if we hope to take anything from the game.”
The match in Kilmarnock faces off at 7.30pm, with the clash in Dumfries facing off at 5.30pm.