LANCASHIRE Hawks new golden boy Alan Hough is already the toast of Blackburn after his four-goal barrage against Paisley Pirates on Saturday night.

But the young starlet has won the heart of the national ice hockey press too.

As if to cement Hawks' born-again display last weekend, Hough's determined effort has bagged him the prestigious "Player of the Week" award in Powerplay - the renowned ice hockey magazine.

And it's no more than the lad deserves, reckons manager Mike Cockayne.

"Alan played his heart out at the weekend, along with the rest of the team" he says. "It was his best-ever performance in a Hawks shirt."

Hough's best-ever display coincided with a return to the fore for the Hawks - a double win over the weekend put them top of the Christmas Cup competition that will see Hawks in 1998. The Hawks next let fly against Fife at Blackburn Arena this Sunday.

Player-coach Jim Pennycook said: "We got a reward for two outstanding performances back-to-back. It's what we've been striving for and every player played his part.

"It gives us a platform to build on and with this sort of spirit and the possibility of having a new face or two, we could be in line for some exciting weeks."

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