BRAEHEAD CLAN were left feeling sick after a double dose of disappointment inflicted two defeats in the opening weekend.

The EIHL season is now underway but there was little in the way of a tonic in the aftermath as the Purple Army were left to pick their way through a pointless start to their title challenge.

On the back of last Sunday’s overtime loss to Fife Flyers in the Challenge Cup, Saturday’s 4-1 home humbling by Nottingham Panthers did little to offer encouragement to the home crowd before a dismal weekend was rounded off the following night as Clan were hammered 5-1 in Cardiff by the Devils.

In the first game of the weekend Matt Beca’s square pass across the crease found Scott Pitt at the back post, who smashed it past Miika Wiikman to give Braehead an early lead.

However, things would take a major turn for the worse as Matt Carter equalised after just 75 seconds at the Braehead Arena before Dan Spang, Chris Lawrence and Erik Lindhagen finished the rout.

Down in the Welsh capital on Sunday would be just as painful for Ryan Finnerty and his team.

Joey Martin and Layne Ulmer gave the hosts a 2-0 lead going into the first break. Less than four minutes after the restart Alex Leavitt pulled one back to give some home for the Scottish side, only for Matthew Myers, Jake Morisette (2) to put the game beyond doubt.

Elsewhere in the Elite League, Belfast Giants won 3-2 away to Coventry Blaze, Dundee Stars defeat the Edinburgh Capitals 2-0, and Fife stunned Nottingham 4-1 in Kirkcaldy.

Next up is the visit of Manchester Storm on Saturday before a short jaunt along the M8 to Murrayfield on Sunday night.