BRAEHEAD CLAN had mixed fortunes with a victory and a loss against the Belfast Giants.

The two EIHL rivals met ahead of the new season finally getting underway next weekend as they both step up preparations for a title tilt.

The first of the two games was played on Saturday night at the Odyssey Arena where visitors Braehead snatched a 4-2 victory.

However on Sunday it would be a different story with Belfast hitting five away goals to Clan’s three to lift the pre-season Intu Cup silverware.

In the opening fixture Belfast got off the mark first when Steve Saviano netted an early opener.

New Braehead Clan enforcer Jay Rosehill didn’t take long before he made his mark and celebrated his debut with a goal as Stephen Murphy was beaten in the Giants net.

But the home side managed to edge in front again as James Desmarais was on hand to tuck the puck into the net to make it 2-1.

Eventually Clan’s Scott Pitt brought the Glasgow club back on level terms just before the second interval as this game got ever tighter.

Cody Carlson put Braehead in front in the third period as the Clan started to turn the game in their favour, after being denied just a minute before.

Carlson then went toe to toe with Jonathan Boxill with seven minutes remaining as both men dropped the gloves to get the crowd going.

But it was Clan that wrapped things up with five seconds left as Rosehill picked up his second of the night on the empty net.

At a packed out Braehead Arena 24 hours later, Belfast would once again start the brighter of the two and rushed into a first period 2-0 lead courtesy of DJ Rutherford and then Michael Forney on the power play.

It only took Clan less than three minutes to respond through Daniel Ashberg, just for Forney to grab yet another strike with Braehead shorthanded before Blair Riley added Belfast’s four two minutes later.

Purple Army hero and captain Matt Keith narrowed the deficit midway through the second period, while Ashberg got it back to a one-goal game heading into the third.

Alas, it was not to be for Braehead and as Rutherford grabbed a third powerplay strike for the Giants.