EIHL | Glasgow Clan 0 Belfast Giants 1

The Premier Sports sponsored Glasgow Clan were shutout by the Belfast Giants on home ice in a narrow defeat in the Motorpoint Elite League.

Glasgow burst out the gates with some early offensive pressure led by Mick Messner and Deven Sideroff as the chemistry looked to have improved across the lines.

Belfast managed to get in front quickly though with Kaleb Pearson playing a great stretch pass to Logan Cockerill for a breakaway and he dished a composed finish past Rasmus Tirronen just 90 seconds into the game.

Keaton Pehrson was denied on a first-time snap from the left wing by Jake Kupsky at the other end as the Giants’ netminder proved impenetrable in the opening frame.

In the second period, Kupsky pulled off a big stop on Cade Neilson as he got a breakaway of his own after a lovely pass from deep but couldn’t direct his backhand effort high enough.

Messner came close shortly after with a nice move to beat Ty Prefontaine and cut into the slot from the left wing and a quick low shot but it was straight into the logo.

Sideroff was caught in possession right in front of his own crease by Scott Conway at the half-way point in the period and the #10 bundled the puck over the line to put a second Belfast goal on the boards.

The play went to review to see if the whole puck crossed the line, which it did so the call stood. However, a coach’s challenge from Steve Birnstill sent the officials back to the monitor as he requested a review for goaltender interference.

After a second look, the officials waved the goal off as Conway impeded Tirronen from gaining possession of the puck, keeping the score at 1-0 after a bizarre sequence at Braehead.

The Giants looked hungry to get a second goal back on the boards for the remainder of the period, but a great diving stop to deny David Goodwin and a series of brilliant saves in a goal mouth scramble by Tirronen kept the Clan just one behind.

A Brady Risk snipe from the left wing crashed against the post in the final period as Glasgow pushed back hard in search of an equaliser.

Sideroff fired quick shots from the top of the right circle looking for a redirect in the final few minutes with Tirronen on the bench for the extra skater, but the Giants held on and claimed both points with a fourth shutout of the season from Kupsky.

The two sides will meet again on the other side of the Irish Sea on Sunday at the O2 in Belfast in the Challenge Cup.