Paisley Pirates 9 Lancashire Hawks 5 ; Lancashire Hawks 1 Paisley Pirates 11

HAWKS bitterly disappointing season brought another double dollop of dismay.

Back-to-back defeats against Paisley Pirates in the Northern League - Hawks have lost all six Arena dates in this section - led to genuine signs of unrest among the faithful.

On both nights Hawks were beaten by the end of the first period, 0-6 twice the embarrassing and one-sided outcome. The point of no return.

A below-average crowd voiced their displeasure last night as Hawks took 37 minutes to register so much as a goal, by which time the Pirates had nine on the scoreboard.

Ironic cheers greeted Jeff Daniels' strike, but it didn't take the Scots long to ease their way to more goal glory.

Even Adrian Lomonaco, for so long the great white hope, has lost his way - a shadow of the player who performed with purpose and promise during the first half of the campaign.

The Canadian didn't score on either night, and seems to have got himself bogged down by the acute lack of collective success.

Hard times indeed. Hawks failed to score during no fewer than eight powerplay opportunities. They did however, manage to concede a short-handed goal.

Ryan Smith helped himself to five goals for the visitors, just as his colleague Stephen Lynch, had north of the border on Saturday.

Strangely, Hawks again put on a better show away from home ice. So often this season they have played with more determination on their travels.

Hard to explain that face, but a fact it is.

They even managed to win a period at Paisley and draw another, Tom Burridge taking the main scoring honours with two fine goals.

Saturdays details - Period scores: 6-0, 1-3, 2-2.

Scoresheeet: Jim Pennycook 1+1, Jeff Daniels 0+1, Tom Burridge 2+0, Alan Hough 1+0, Bobby Haig 1+1, Ian Plews 0+1, Adrian Lomonaco 0+1. Sunday details - Period scores: 0-6, 1-3, 0-2. Scoresheet: Jeff Daniels 1+0, Adrian Lomonaco 0+1, Neil Abel 0+1.

Hawks gave a debut to on-loan Daniel Mackriel, a teenage forward from Telford, last night and other moves could take place this week after the British Ice Hockey Association's decision to extend the transfer deadline.

Paisley parted company with their long-standing player-coach Doug Marsden just before the weekend action.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.