GAME REPORT: Depleted Clan lose out to gutsy Guildford

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Glasgow Clan may still be top of the Elite League table, but can take a level of pride from a loss to Guildford Flames that saw four big players missing for the home team.

Travis Ehrhardt joined Mathieu Roy, Craig Peacock and Scott Tanski on the treatment table with coach Zack Fitzgerald making a playing comeback to help the numbers.

For large parts of the game, you couldn’t pick a winner as both sides battled for 40 minutes with the two teams locked in a stalemate.

It was largely down to the performances of the two goalie, Guildford’s Travis Fullerton and Patrick Killeen of the Clan, both deserved winners of their respective man of the match awards.

it was goalless after the first and Killeen was responsible for keeping it that way when TJ Foster found himself through on goal, but Clan’s netminder was in top form to execute a top save.

Killeen made another key save as John Dunbar was sprung through the middle, again denied by the home goalie as he dived left to deny him.

The deadlock was finally when Jesse Craige’s shot took a bounce off a Clan player, leaving Killeen exposed as Ian Watters took advantage to force the puck over the line.

Glasgow responded well as Scott Pitt teed up Matt Beca in the middle and Clan’s #26 delivered a backhanded finish into Fullerton’s net on his right-hand side.

Cam Braes hit the post in the third post as either side looked to forge ahead, with Killeen again making a phenomenal save from Jamie Crooks.

But it didn’t last as Jordan Rowley’s blue line effort was tipped in by Dunbar and Guildford finally broke the stalemate with a powerplay goal.

They added to it shortly through Crooks, sending a finish into the roof of the net after he was set up by Brett Ferguson – another on the powerplay and the game looked done for the Clan.

Chad Rau scrambled one in with four minutes to go to close the gap to one, setting up what promised to be an exciting finale.

But an empty netter from Kruise Reddick ended the contest and gave Flames a big two points and their 11th win over Clan in 14 meetings since Guildford joined the league in 2017.

View the game sheet HERE