Paisley Pirates 10 Lancashire Hawks 5

ADRIAN Lomonaco is fast emerging as one of Lancashire Hawks best-ever imports.

But in spite of scoring four goals away from home last night he still ended up a loser.

There was more cheer on Saturday for the impish Canadian forward - a stunning hat trick in a resounding win.

Hawks triumphed for the first time in the ice hockey National League by beating Murrayfield, but came a cropper in Paisley: "We may have won just one of the opening four National League games, but we are showing up well against class opponents and no one is despondent.

"It was a terrific effort against Murrayfield and we just couldn't re-produce that form last night," said manager Mike Cockayne.

At Paisley, Hawks were missing Tim Dempsey, a shoulder injury that could keep him sidelined for a week or more.

Lomonaco was his usual impressive self, but the game slipped beyond Hawks in a one-sided second period.

"It was a game of many chances, something over 110 shots on goal, and it boiled down to them punishing our errors while we failed to convert the opportunities that fell our way," added Mr Cockayne.

Period scores: 4-2, 4-1, 2-2.

Scoresheet: Jeff Daniels 1+4, Alan Hough 0+3, Adrian Lomonaco 4+1.

Lancashire Hawks 11 Murrayfield Royals 3

AN astonishing spell of goal scoring - eight in 15 minutes - cleared the way for a resounding victory over Murrayfield at the Arena on Saturday. And no-one revelled in it more than Lomonaco whose hat trick in under seven minutes really got the Arena faithful in full voice.

There had been no early sign of the goal deluge, indeed, the first period contained just the one goal courtesy of Dempsey.

Hawks shaded the second by the odd goal in three, but the game was far from safe when the puck dropped at the start of the final period.

Even with less than quarter of an hour to play Hawks only held a 4-3 advantage - but then came the avalanche.

The luckless Royals, battered and bewildered, resembled the punch drunk boxer desperate to hear the bell.

Period scores: 1-0, 2-1, 8-2.

Scoresheet: Mika Pynonnen 0+1, Neil Abel 0+1, Jeff Daniels 0+2, Craig Sharman 1+0, Tim Dempsey 1+0, Tom Burridge 1+1, Alan Hough 2+3, Bobby Haig 0+3, Bill Price 1+0, Lee Cowmeadow 2+1, Adrian Lomonaco 3+3.

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