Braehead Clan Tripp up at final hurdle to miss EIHL play-offs

The top eight ice hockey sides in the division go into the quarter-finals and with Clan sitting eighth with two games to go, their fate still rested in their own hands despite some turgid displays this season.

However, the wheels came off the Braehead bus in dramatic fashion on Friday night after a 2-0 lead at home to Nottingham Panthers was squandered on the way to a 6-3 loss in front of 3400 at the Braehead Arena.

Speaking on Friday night, head coach John Tripp said: "I'd said the same thing to the players we've been preaching all day, just do your job and know your habits. 

"Today we got Nottingham falling asleep in the first, it was nice and then they came back. We didn't have enough layers on the ice. We had offence and defence and nothing in the middle. 

"It was a lot of simple things. Guys didn't have their thinking caps on. We had a lot of bad habits we're not used to, we  had a lot of individual hockey with guys who thought it was going to be a breeze. 

"Today we just didn't cut it. It's tough it trickled on from the top all the way to the bottom and that's when you need the big players to show up and show their leadership but we didn't get that. 

"But tomorrow is a new day."

The following night victory away to Guildford Flames seemed a must with Coventry Blaze just a point behind with two games to go, but once again Tripp's men choked on their way to a 3-1 loss.

With Blaze defeating Manchester Storm later on Saturday, it means Braehead join Dundee Stars and Edinburgh Capitals on the play-off sidelines.

It is a bitter pill to swallow for the Purple Army who had high hopes for this season on the back of Tripp's arrival. Ryan Finnerty, his predecessor, found himself surplus to requirements last season having failed to get Braehead beyond Dundee at the quarter-final stage.

The fact Tripp, who has a year left on his contract, didn't get Clan that far this time will be a cause for concern.