‘WELCOME TO HELL’ was the message that famously greeted European football powerhouses as they trundled up to the cauldron of hate that was the Ali Sami Yen Stadi in Istanbul. Natives could be seen on a weekly basis baying for the blood of any fool who dared to think they could visit Galatasary’s iconic stadium, grab a win and live to tell the tale.

Those tyrants who regularly frequented the stands of the now defunct ground in the Turkish city obviously never visited Fife.

For deep within Kirkcaldy lies the Fife Ice Arena, a near 80-year-old antique of a venue that last night bubbled with the scorching heat of a thousand Bovrils with the arrival of Braehead Clan to town.

Those of a football persuasion may scoff at the notion that two ice hockey teams, especially a pair that are 60 miles apart, have such a bitter rivalry. There were over 3000 inside this rickety old building that would wholeheartedly disagree. If they stopped to draw breath, that is.

Despite Braehead Clan only coming into existence six years ago – Fife Flyers have been on the go since 1938 – there is certainly no love lost between the pair. That was illustrated with ever-increasing penalty count that was racked up in this fiery Elite Ice Hockey League play-off quarter-final first leg - 12 for Braehead and three for Fife - that was dramatically won 2-1 at the death by Todd Dutiaume’s home side.

Throughout this mesmeric encounter the shallow stands under the lights and the tinfoil ceiling roared with great regularity as the two teams in the ice almost came to blows every time play came to a stop.

Those not familiar with the rivalry of this pair need not delve too far back into the past to find the bone of contention which stiffened the tense and at times ferocious atmosphere in Kirkcaldy. The team from Glasgow went into the final stretch of the season needing to win their final five matches to pip the Flyers to the Gardiner Conference title on more regulation wins. They did.

Despite Clan coming in with the momentum and the favourites tag, though, they more than rode their luck against a Flyers team hell bent to play hard and win hard. Braehead netminder Chris Holt was the busiest man on the ice and kept his team in the game with save after save, including one reaction stop in the first period that seemed destined to find the back of the net.

For all Clan’s penalites, it would be Ryan Finnerty’s visitors that would be the ones to take advantage of a power play. With T J Caig in the box for slashing, Braehead took the lead as captain Matt Keith pulled the puck back across goal for Marcus Gotz, whose shot somehow squirmed under the body of David Brown.

It looked like it would be enough for Clan to take a one-goal lead back to the Braehead Arena the following night as they slowly crept into the game and Flyers grew frustrated. However, the partisan crowd crammed into the Fife Ice Arena would not be denied the goal their team deserved.

With Clan a man down, Alex Leavitt in the penalty box and just over a minute to go, they failed to clear their lines as the puck broke at Holt’s crease. Fife’s Ryan Dingle reacted first to turn the puck in.

Fleyrs weren’t done yet.

Thirteen seconds flashed up on the above ice board as the hosts snatched the advantage with Kyle Haines slamming a rocket of a shot high beyond Holt.

“It’s anger,” said Finnerty. “The guys battled pretty hard and had a good game but unfortunately it was a game where we were on the penalty kill all night.

“There were soft calls at hard times but it’s a 2-1 game at halfway. We led the whole way but unfortunately there was something in like their ninth power play.

“It’s play-off hockey, you’ve got to let the guys go. You want the guys to decide and I thought we should have walked out of here at least level. We didn’t but it’s halfway through.

“They got the better of us for the last two minutes of that game. We will carry this frustration into tomorrow.”

First blood Fife, but expect another bruising encounter on Clyde side tonight.