Ice hockey – Clan win boosts Capitals play-off hopes

Elite League: Braehead Clan 4, Manchester Storm 1

Edinburgh Capitals fans breathed a sigh of relief when Braehead Clan moved into fourth place in the ten-strong Elite League table when they beat Manchester Storm 4-1, the English side’s eighth straight defeat.

It means that Capitals did not lose any ground in their bid to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs by claiming a top eight spot in the table at the end of the regular season.

Storm stay ninth with 39 points from 47 fixtures and are out of the play-off places along with bottom club Capitals who have 34 points from 46 games.

Dundee Stars occupy the eighth and final play-off position with 40 points from 46 games while Coventry Blaze are seventh with 41 points from 48 starts.

It was Great Britain squad player Craig Peacock who fired Clan ahead after six minutes only for Taylor Dickin to level with 32 seconds left of the first session.

Clan then claimed two goals in five, second-period minutes with Scott Pitt firing the home side head after 14 minutes and Mike Hammond netting with 57 seconds left of the session.

And Corey Cowick’s 14th goal of the season finished off Manchester with less than eight minutes left on the clock.