Paisley Blackhawks visited Limekiln Road this week for a fixture against home side, Ayr Jets. Right from the starting face-off the local team's first line of Simpson, Watt & Hose seemed to play with more conviction than their opponents unleashing attacks in waves and out-shooting the Blackhawks by two shots to every one against home netminder, Stephen McLauchlan.
However, the forwards for either team were unable to capitalise in the first period due to good, solid defence at both ends of the rink. Even a two-on-zero break from Morris & Rodger was crushed due to an amazing show of talent from Malcolm Anderson between the pipes for Paisley. The opening period finished without either team putting a notch on the scoreboard.
Anderson's success continued into the second period but unfortunately the Jets' success was going in the opposite direction. Paisley received a two-minute penalty for interference just after the halfway point in the second period but Ayr was unable to convert with the man advantage. It only took Blackhawks another minute to take the lead after their penalty expired and they went on the power-play as Ayr were whistled for too many men on the ice. The visitors were back on the penalty-kill in the closing seconds of the period with an elbowing call.
Ayr came out firing on all cylinders with a man advantage after the intermission. The home team bombarded Anderson with shot after shot but the young goalie stood on his head. Jets managed to last a whole six minutes & fifty seconds before the Blackhawks struck again. Sixteen seconds later the Jets were sent further into disarray when Paisley took a 3-0 lead. Morale seemed to dip on the home bench until J Kidd & R Szalapski set-up J Cathcart to break Anderson's shutout in the final minute of the game. The final score was Paisley Blackhawks 3, Ayr Jets 1 with Gary Morris picking up the Man of the Match award for the evening.
