Altrincham 9 Blackburn Hawks 10; Blackburn Hawks 8 Castlereagh Knights 2

JIM Pennycook helped Blackburn Hawks notch up a double helping of ice hockey stick this weekend with home and away wins.

Pennycook, out since last year with damaged ankle ligaments, opened the scoring at Altrincham on Saturday after only 35 seconds and helped destroy struggling Castlereagh Knights 8-2 at the Arena last night.

But it was an all-round team effort that kept Castlereagh on their toes with almost every Hawks player earning a place on the scoresheet.

"It was great to have Jim back on the ice," said manager Mike Cockayne. "It gives us a full squad and a number of players on the scoresheet demonstrates the depth we have."

But Mr Cockayne remained realistic and warned that the final score didn't tell the whole story.

"We played very poorly especially in the first two periods. It wasn't until the third that we started working really hard as a team despite the fact that we won so convincingly. "We must still win next week to maintain our position in the league - if we lose and Dumfries win their next two we'll finish back down in fifth place."

Hawks' last home game of the season started slowly with no score by the end of the first period.

It took over 30 minutes for Hawks to achieve full flight, super Swede Patrik Ferlander drawing level on 31 minutes after Knights started the second period brightly, going ahead through Gary McKeag.

But with 25 shots to Knights' paltry nine, Hawks looked hungrier going 3-1 up on the buzzer. Their persistence paid off in the final session with a superb solo run from Bobby Haig, giving Ferlander his third goal and only a misunderstanding in the neutral zone to blame for Castlereagh's late consolation.

Period scores: 0-0, 3-1, 5-1.

Scoresheet: Colin Downey 0+2, Neil Abel 0+2, Jim Pennycook 1+1, Craig Sharman 0+1, Simon Mills 1+0, Ismo Rokala 1+3, Patrik Ferlander 3+1, Bobby Haig 1+1, Todd Bidner 0+2, Richard Charles 1+1.

On Saturday Hawks recorded a hard-won victory at Altrincham in the Challenge Cup.

Hawks roared into the lead with Jim Pennycook's 35 second opener, the player-coach clearly relishing his time back on the ice.

From 5-2 up after the first period, Altrincham came back to almost steal but Hawks won through 9-10 by the final buzzer.

Altrincham visit the Hawks nest this Saturday for what promises to be another breathtaking clash.

Period scores: 2-5, 4-3, 3-2.

Scoresheet: Neil Abel 2+3, Jim Pennycook 2+3, Simon Mills 0+1, Ismo Rokala 2+1, Bobby Haig 0+1, Alan Howe 1+1, Todd Bidner 3+3, Richard Charles 1+1.

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