IT'S a time to rest and be thankful for Ryan Finnerty after his exhausted Braehead Clan stormed to the top of the table.

Going into Saturday's home match against Coventry Blaze knowing a victory would send them clear at the summit of the EIHL, the Glasgow side battered their opponents 4-2 in front of almost 3000 fans at Braehead Arena.

Goals from Derek Roehl, Jamie Fritsch and a brace from Stefan Mayer were enough to extend Clan's winning streak to five games, with a stunning early start to the season seeing them triumph seven times in nine outings.

It's been a draining few weeks for Finnerty's side, who have been blighted by illness, injury and suspension during their recent run of matches.

And after having the luxury of just the Coventry game at the weekend - they won three matches in three days the week before - the Braehead boss is looking forward to his men having some downtime ahead of the derby with Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday.

He said: "It's pretty early to be talking about being at the top, but at this moment, it feels pretty good.

"We won't be making a big thing of it because it's way too early, but it's a happy dressing room. However, we need to be realistic about where we're going.

"Our biggest friend right now is rest and we'll be concentrating on getting guys 100% healthy for next week. It'll be good to get a couple of days off. We have that to look forward to and the guys deserve it."

To read Braehead Clan defenceman Chris Frank's latest exclusive column about his latest suspension and the club's charity work, visit www.eveningtimes.co.uk