Solway Sharks 1 Paisley Pirates 3
27/9/2003 at Dumfries Ice Bowl
Autumn Cup

Pirates break their losing streak with a comfortable victory at Dumfries and, with it, avenged last week's home reverse to the Sharks.

Pirates began in determined fashion but without seriously troubling the home goal, indeed, it was Sharks who had the first opportunity in the 3rd minute when Bobby Chalmers broke clear but John Russell, making his first start of the season in Pirates goal, saved. Both sides then traded penalties but it was Pirates who made most use of the man advantage when swift passing in the Sharks zone by Chris Conaboy and Gary Morris set up Stuart Swiatek unmarked in front for the opening goal in the 7th minute. Sharks again found themselves shorthanded in the 11th minute and again Pirates made them pay, this time Colin McMillan and Rab Henderson setting up Stuart McCaig. Theworst sight in any sport is that of a combatant leaving on a stretcher and that was the fate of Corrie Telfer in the 12th minute after an innocuous clash but mercifully he later returned to the game. Pirates spent most of the remainder of the period shorthanded but, despite this Sharks, couldn't pull themselves back into the game.

The second session was almost a non event with Pirates still enjoying the upper hand but only a Murray Johnston effort off the bar in the 25th minute threatened to add to the score. They even finished the period on the powerplay but without success.

With Pirates in almost complete control, they took their foot off the gas at the start of the final period and Sharks were now making the running but there was still precious little in the way of incident in the early moments.

Those who were at Paisley for the first meeting between the sides will remember Craig Johnston running Pirates netminder Orr, he repeated the "crime" on home ice with a challenge on Russell, this time it was Chris Mills who leapt to his keeper's aid and sat out the next 12 minutes in the penalty box, and again the Shark escaped punishment.

Sharks almost converted the man advantage when only a point blank Russell save kept out Ryan McBride. With it Sharks comeback hopes were almost gone when seconds later they took a penalty of their own. Pirates had the better of the play on the resulting 4 on 4 but it wasn't until the 53rd minute when they were shorthanded that the killer blow came, Henderson sending Swiatek clear on goal for his second of the night. The final penalty of the night in the 56th minute gave Sharks another opportunity to break the shut out and this time they did, Chalmers again the scorer a mere 16 seconds into the powerplay. He could have had a late hat trick as he passed up two more opportunities in the closing seconds but that would have been a case of daylight robbery asPirates had dominated almost from start to finish.

With this victory Pirates have at least given themselves some hope of holding onto the Autumn Cup but now their fate is out of their own hands. A win next time out at Edinburgh is a must but they need Solway or Kilmarnock to do them a favour with the meeting of Solway and Edinburgh in Dumfries on October 18 looking the key to determining the outcome of the group.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Paisley: Myles Watson Solway: Gordon Whyt
SCORING:
Paisley: Swiatek 2+0, McCaig 1+0, Henderson, McMillan, Mills, Monson, Morris 0+1
Solway: Chalmers 1+0, Carruth, Johnston 0+1
NETMINDING:
Paisley: Russell 24 shots/1 goal Solway: Anderson 42 shots/3 goals
PENALTIES:
Paisley: Mills 12 minutes, Monson 6, Henderson 4, McCaig 2
Solway: Carruth, Gracie, Johnston, McBride all 2