Elgin Tornados 3 Paisley Pirates 16
6/12/2003 at Moray Leisure Centre
Scottish Cup First Round

Pirates set up a semi final re-match of last season's Scottish Cup Final with Camperdown Stars with this victory in Elgin.

Not for the first time this season, Pirates were in early penalty trouble with two early minor calls. On the second of these, the unthinkable happened - Elgin took the lead!

Wylie capitalising on a poor clearance in the 6th minute. Although Pirates were dominating the possession, they weren' t threatening an equaliser in the immediate minutes that followed with the home side creating the better of the few chances on show on their own tight ice rink. It took until the 12th minute before Pirates eased the mounting nerves when Chris Mills forced home from close range. Within a minute Pirates had a powerplay and didn't waste it, Stuart McCaig firing them in front. Within another minute they'd made it 3-1, a good forecheck from Calum Maceachran setting up Colin Nelson.

Pirates were back on the powerplay again seconds later following the first flashpoint of the evening when Brian Taylor and Warren Nelson clashed, the resulting "fight" deemed sufficient by referee Clarihew to see both players ejected from the game. Pirates didn't convert on the powerplay but two goals 17 seconds apart in the 17th minute by Stuart Miller and John Churchill saw them stretch the lead to four at the first break. That they didn't add to the lead was largely due to a constant flow to the visitors' penalty box.

Just as in the first period, Elgin scored first in the second, through Kevin Russell, after only 32 seconds. Again Pirates didn't strike back immediately, a full six minutes passing before Nelson netted his second following a scramble in front. Ninety seconds later and Miller got his second on a breakaway. Pirates then again found themselves shorthanded but this didn't deter them, Richie Thorp netting a shorthanded goal in the 32nd minute. Pirates completed the period scoring following another scramble in the 38th minute, Churchill the latest to get his second. The period was brought to an early halt with ninety seconds remaining when Elgin netminder Craig Johnstone skated straight to the dressing room in obvious pain with what at the time looked like a broken finger. Thankfully he was able to come back for the resumption.

When play resumed, it was unusually straight into a third period that would last 21 and a half minutes. With a healthy lead, Pirates were the ones to change their keeper, under19 Graham Bell making his debut replacing Gordon Langford. Unlike the previous sessions, Pirates got the early goal, Colin McMillan bringing up double figures with a blue line blast in the 41st minute. Pirates struck again within a minute, Mills getting his second when he tipped home a Conaboy point drive. Elgin didn't lie down but unfortunately they did it with their fists with two fights following that saw a further four players heading for the showers early. Thorp and McMillan from Paisley matched by Fraser Munro and Darren Robertson the combatants.

If Pirates felt like coasting for the remaining minutes, the fights fired them up again and went goal crazy, finding the net a further five times through Miller (twice - four for the evening), Conaboy (twice - both shorthanded) and McCaig with his second. All that remained for Paisley was to defend Bell 's mini shut out but with 52 seconds left Phil Knights caught them up ice to complete the scoring.

Pirates were glad of the fall back of the Paisley under 19 side, in addition to regular call up McCaig and goalie Bell; they also gave a debut to Paul McPhail with five regulars missing for various reasons.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Paisley: Rab Henderson Elgin: Andy Howes
SCORING:
Paisley: Miller 4-0, Conaboy 2+3, Churchill, Mills 2+2, McCaig, Nelson 2+1,
Thorp 1+1, McMillan 1+0, Maceachran 0+3, Henderson, Langford, McPhail,
Morris, Taylor 0+1
Elgin: Knights, Wylie 1+1, Russell 1+0, Findlay 0+1
NETMINDING:
Paisley: Langford (38.30) 19 shots/2 goals Bell (21.30) 10
shots/1goal
Elgin: Johnstone 63 shots/16 goals
PENALTIES:
Paisley: McMillan, Taylor, Thorp all 25 minutes, Maceachran, Miller, Nelson
6, Conaboy, Henderson, Mills 2
Elgin: Nelson 27, Munro, Robertson 25, Johnstone 2
(the reason the scoreboard said 17-3 but it was only 16-3 was they put our
16th goal up twice!!!)