Little blow to Flyers ahead of Belfast trip

Andy Little, Fife Flyers’ back-up goaltender, will miss Friday’s trip to Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup because of injury.

Tom Coolen, Flyers’ head coach, is looking for emergency cover for the 26-year-old Paisley-born stopper (pictured by Flyers Images) who has also played for Kirkcaldy Kestrels and Kilmarnock Storm.

Coolen is talking to junior coaches to find a replacement to back-up No 1 Shane Owen in the tough trip against last season’s Grand Slam champions.

Giants, sponsored by Stena Line, lead the four-team section with eight points from their four games with Fife in second spot two points behind but with a game more played.

Glasgow Clan are third with two points from three starts and Dundee Stars prop up the table having failed to collect a point in their four games.

Coolen’s men only lost 1-0 to Giants at Kirkcaldy earlier in the tournament and he agreed that Owen could be a busy man on Friday but the Canadian is delighted with the form of his No 1 who he coached before. Coolen said: “He (Owen) seems to be getting better.”