AFTER a month without a competitive ice hockey clash at the Arena, Blackburn Hawks player-coach Bobby Haig is relishing tomorrow's tilt at last season's champions Sheffield.

The Hawks lost out to their rivals in a tight league game in Yorkshire last month, and Haig is rallying his troops ahead of the Premier Cup date with the high-flying Scimitars.

The squad are expected to be at full-strength, with Michael Brunton, sidelined recently with a hand injury coming back into contention.

Despite a useful point in the 3-3 draw with Billingham Eagles last Sunday, Haig feels his side should have taken all the points from the contest.

"I was unhappy with the referee's performance but that's the way it is, complaining solves nothing," he said.

"But it's up to the boys now in this match, not the referee, and we need to have a better attitude and show more team spirit."

In the last competitive fixture in Blackburn, Haig's squad routed Grimsby by 20 goals to three.

The cup-tie with Sheffield will surely be much closer, and the Hawks are eagerly anticipating the clash on home ground.

"We need to make a good start," said Haig. "The problem has been the boys just don't have the belief to think that they can win games like this.

"Hopefully the fans can give us that confidence and it should be a great game."

The Arena doors open at 5.15 pm tomorrow and the match faces off at 6 pm.