Double blow for Clan as league title hopes take another hit
BRAEHEAD CLAN suffered another painful weekend as their bid to make up title ground came to a shuddering halt.
Ryan Finnerty’s men went in to a crammed double header with Manchester Storm knowing it was a prime opportunity for them to reel in Elite League leaders Cardiff Devils who were out of competitive action.
It all looked so promising for the Glasgow outfit on Thursday as a 6-3 home win over the Edinburgh Capitals set them up against an opponent that began the weekend in second bottom place.
However, things rarely are straightforward where Braehead are concerned, and this turned out to be no different.
On Saturday night Clan went down 4-1 at the Altrincham Ice Arena as a late Neil Trimm strike offered the faintest of consolations.
Things failed to improve much on home ice the following night.
A bumper crowd flocked to the Braehead Arena for Sunday’s crunch game, and they would have been delighted when former Stanley Cup winner Rik Jackman fired the hosts into an early lead.
It was an advantage that lasted just six minutes as Luke Salazar soon levelled, before former Clan man Derek Roehl slotted by Chris Holt just a couple of minutes later for what turned out to be the winner.
Braehead have now played all of their games in hand over the Welsh leaders and sit seven points off the pace in third, three points adrift of second-placed Sheffield Steelers.
Clan now head into a crucial period where they will play three games out of four at home, starting with the visit of Fife Flyers on Saturday night.
With just 10 games left, their place in the play-offs is near enough secured. However, Finnerty will be looking for the consistency that helped his men go on an eight-league game winning streak over January return. And quickly.