Gilling concern for fired-up Flyers

Casey Gilling is carrying an injury but could be considered as Fife Flyers have a weekend double-header which sees the Kirkcaldy club clash with clubs at the bottom and then the top of the ten-strong Elite League.

Guildford Flames, who prop up the table, visit on Saturday (face-off 19.15) and Flyers then travel to The House of Steel to square-up to high-flying Sheffield Steelers on Sunday (16.00).

Coach Tom Coolen is focused on entirely on Flames and not on Sheffield and the Guildford club added Austin Glover to their squad in midweek as an injury replacement for countryman Kobe Walker.

The men from The Spectrum Leisure Complex hope to get clearance so the Canadian marksman can make his debut for the club at The Fife Ice Arena.

Coach Coolen has watched tapes of Flames and he dismissed any suggestion that they are a soft touch. Indeed, they challenged for the title last term.

He said: “They have speed and they have real talent and they are a good team. In fact, there are no easy games in this league, from team one to team ten. However, it is all about how we execute on the night. We have to make sure we make fewer mistakes than the opposition.

American forward Gilling has a knock but it is not serious, according to Coolen, and the coach is happy with the way training has gone this week.

He was also pleased to have earned a point in the narrow 3-2 shootout defeat to Belfast Giants, last season’s Grand Slam winners, at Kirkcaldy last Saturday, the team’s last outing. The Fifers are sixth with three points from two games.

The Canadian playcaller said: “Our aim is to win every game, but winning at home in front of our own fans is important to us and we will be aiming to do that.”

Steelers edged Glasgow Clan 3-2 at Braehead on Wednesday after overtime, Mikko Juusola netting 1min 04sec into the extra session, but Coolen did not travel to watch.

PICTURE: Fife v Belfast last weekend by courtesty of the Elite League from Jillian McFarlane