BELFAST GIANTS.........................6 CLAN..............................................1
Clan are crushed by Giants as Braehead side are hit for six
A trip to Belfast didn’t give Braehead outfit Clan the boost they were hoping for as they were heavily beaten to complete a dismal weekend.
Clan were eager to return to winning ways after losing 3-1 at home to Guildford Flames, and while a contest against the current champions was always going to be a tough ask, it was Belfast who came out on top.
Clan did get a dream start to the game with a goal in their first shift as a Travis Ehrhardt shot from the blue line was tipped into Shane Owen’s net by Scott Jacklin, who picked up his first goal for the club.
The Giants looked ragged and couldn’t find a way through as they struggled to find any momentum in the early stages, with Patryk Wronka and Ciaran Long both going close.
However, they did draw level when Jordan Smotherman popped a pass out from behind the visitors’ net finding David Goodwin, who stepped up from the blue line and fired low past Patrick Killeen to equalise.
Belfast were a better unit in the second period following a stern talking to by their coach and could have gone ahead as they found themselves with a three-on-one chance, led by Wronka.
The Polish forward opted to go it alone instead of passing to his teammates alongside him and saw his shot saved by Killeen.
The home side did take the lead minutes later as Liam Reddox came from behind the net to try a shot, which was initially blocked by the Clan goalie, but Brian Ward got enough on it to pop it beyond the outstretched netminder and give Giants the lead.
It began something of a deluge of goals in the remainder of the middle session as Lewis Hook’s shot triggered a moment of chaos in front of the crease, ending with Liam Morgan backhanding a chance into the net for a third.
Then Reddox, again coming from behind Clan’s net, teeing up Bobby Farnham with a quick finish to make it 4-1.
A fifth was added with three seconds remaining of the middle period as Goodwin caressed the puck into the net from close range after Morgan’s well-hit pass.
Killeen was replaced by Jordan McLaughlin for the third period and although there wasn’t much in the way of goalmouth action, Giants did eventually add to their tally.
A good effort from Smotherman flew into the net past Clan’s backup netminder and add to what turned into a night to forget for Zack Fitzgerald’s men as they ended the weekend without a point.