Giants extend advantage at top with home win

Photo: William Cherry

Belfast Giants capitalised on Sheffield Steelers dropping a point to extend their lead at the top of the Premier Sports Elite League table to three points, having played a game more, thanks to a comfortable home win over Guildford Flames.

The Flames arrived in Belfast on Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately a large portion of their kit had stayed behind in Heathrow. The game was eventually pushed back more than two hours before enough of the bags arrived to allow the Flames to start the game.

Slater Doggett gave the Giants the only goal of the opening period, scored at 9:22, before the home side pushed home their dominance in period two. Mark Cooper scored at 26:10 and shorthanded at 30:49 to put the hosts three ahead before JJ Piccinich made it 4-0 with 48 seconds left in the period.

Cooper completed his hat trick with his second shorthanded goal of the night 59 seconds into the third period which was the game's final goal.

The Giants now hold a one-point advantage over the Steelers if the Yorkshire side win their game in hand and, perhaps more importantly, also hold the tie-break advantage so are effectively two ahead.