NEWS: Finnerty – Last eight place still in our hands

NEXT HOME GAME: Braehead Clan are out for big Challenge Cup points when they take on Dundee Stars TONIGHT at Braehead Arena (7:30pm face-off). Tickets are available NOW via TICKETMASTER, by calling 0844 499 1700 or direct at the Braehead Arena box office.

Braehead Clan head coach Ryan Finnerty reckons his team are starting to turn the corner – as Dundee Stars come to Braehead tonight looking for more Challenge Cup points.

 

Clan picked up three points from four last week, clinching the long awaited first win of the season at Manchester Storm before being edged by Belfast Giants in a Sunday shootout.

 

And Finnerty insists Braehead’s own Challenge Cup destiny are still in their own hands ahead of Friday’s clash with Marc LeFebvre’s side.

 

“Marc’s built a good team there and they’ve got off to a good start,” the Clan coach said. “But we feel we’re starting to turn the corner here.

 

“We’ve put ourselves a bit behind the eight ball, but we feel it’s still within our control and we’re playing Dundee for the first time outwith an exhibition game. They’ll be a difficult task for us.

 

“They’ve had some good results, playing well and move fast so we have to make sure we’re ready to go against them.

 

“Any time you get a win, you get a sense of relief and the guys stop squeezing the stick as much and enjoy playing the game.

 

“But we need to start winning in front of our fans and give them that self belief back because I think we lost it.”

 

Despite the return of something resembling a feelgood factor following the two games last week, Finnerty, while happier at the outcome, isn’t resting on his laurels.

 

And he’s hopeful the run of form inevitable for every team in every season has now come and gone for Braehead.

 

He added: “There’s a lot of new faces and it’s probably taken more time to come together than I anticipated, but at the same time, we have a good group. It’s getting everybody on the same page.

 

“It’s difficult when you’re on a slide and there’s a ton of negativity around the team and rightly so. But the team’s more upbeat, however we’re nowhere near where we want to be.

 

“Nobody’s patting themselves on the back for a three point weekend, but we’re more engaged and more focussed on what we need to do.

“Every team goes through that sort of form at some stage in the season and hopefully that was ours, but we’re starting to climb the ladder.”