BLACKBURN Hawks ice hockey coach Bobby Haig was left shattered and disillusioned following back-to-back cup defeats on the road.

The Hawks lost out in the English Cup North group, going down 3-6 at Kingston, and 24 hours later crashed 1-10 to Premier League opposition at Nottingham in the Premier Cup Group A clash.

Haig said: "We did okay against Kingston, though the refereeing let us down, and we should be able to beat them. But at Nottingham it was just a shambles!

"We never competed, the game plan was all over the place. I'm left wondering whether I am the right person to coach them any more. To be honest, I am seriously considering my future."

Already short on numbers for the weekend trips, Mark McDonald was unable to play at Kingston and Wayne Slater finished the night in hospital, having been stretchered off the ice in a neck brace.

"It was a very bad check, he was completely taken out," said Hawks' manager Keith Greenhalgh. "But typical of the night, we got very little from the referee."

In a game spoiled by persistent whistling, the Hawks were punished with 127 minutes off penalties.

Haig grabbed two goals, with assists from Slater and Gordon Whyte, with Whyte himself picking up the third, following good work from Mike Kershaw and Haig.

The following evening, it was Haig again who scored Hawks' soliatry goal in the face of Nottingham's 10-goal onslaught.

Next weekend the Hawks have a chance for revenge over Kingston at least as they revisit Humberside on Saturday for an English Ice Hockey League clash.