IT WAS ironic that red-hot Blackburn Hawks were fanning the Flames on Bonfire Night ... but another sparkler of a weekend means the local ice hockey stars remain on top of the pile.

And with a trip to local rivals Manchester Storm looming on Thursday it's a case of light the blue touchpaper and stand well back.

Hawks were convincing winners in nothing more than a canter against the Medway Bears, but Guildford Flames were a diffrent proposition last night and the win was as hard earned as it was well-deserved.

The Flames were in no mood to be blown away and their physical approach made life tough for Ryan Kummu and Co, egged on by another healthy Arena crowd of around 2,000.

Hawks roared into a 3-0 lead, then watched Flames score four without reply - the visitors taking the first period 3-4.

Hawks scored the only goal of a tight second period to square things up and then wrapped up the points with an aggressive display in the third, taking it 4-1.

The highlight was a last-gasp goal from Malcolm Bell which really had the fans bouncing around.

Flames had taken off their netminder in a late muck-or-nettles move and the quick-thinking Bell, from alongside his own back defensive line, hit the puck nearly the length of the rink and into an unguarded goal. Kummu, critical of late about his team's defensive determination, displayed the perfect qualities of leadership last night and he was, in every sense, a giant in the game. There were hat-tricks too for skipper John Haig and Russian wing ace Oleg Sinkov.

Scoresheet: John Haig 3 + 1, Oleg Sinkov 3 + 3, Ryan Kummu 1 + 2, Malcolm Bell 1 + 0, Jimy Pennycook 0 + 1, Steve Chartrand 0 + 4.

Against the Bears, victory was a formality from the moment Hawks went ahead early on, they took the three periods 3-1, 4-1, 4-3 and could well have had more goals to show for their dominance.

Steve Chartrand, who missed out in the goals stakes last night, led the way with 4 + 4.

Scoresheet: Steve Chartrand 4 + 4, John Haig 2 + 3, Ryan Kummu 2 + 3, Oleg Sinkov 2 + 4, Russ Plant 1 + 0, Malcolm Bell 0 + 1, Lee Cowmeadow 0 + 1.

Manager Mike Cockayne said: "We can't do any more than keep winning and that's a dozen league wins already. We are starting to look a formidable unit and it's just a case of keeping it going from game to game."

But the message from the Hawks is: Bring on the Storm!

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