Premier Cup: SWINDON WILDCATS 4 BLACKBURN HAWKS 2

English Cup: BLACKBURN HAWKS 6 WHITLEY WARRIORS 6

BLACKBURN Hawks started the regular ice hockey season with a gruelling cup programme which produced just one point but left player-coach Bobby Haig still optimistic.

In the Premier League Cup a spirited display saw Bobby Haig's men lose out, going down 2-4 to Premier side Swindon Wildcats.

And 24 hours later, back at the Arena in the English Cup, 15 hours of travelling and a hard match took its toll as they allowed old rivals Whitley Warriors to pull back a three-goal deficit to tie the match at 6-6.

Haig said: "We had a hell of a journey, but the lads played their hearts out and gave their all in a tough match against a very difficult team.

"Against Whitley, we worked hard again and didn't really get the breaks.

"Tiredness was bound to kick in at some point. Perhaps we should have won, but I can't fault the boys and I'm not disappointed."

At Swindon, Brian Worrall boosted Hawks' hopes of an upset by hitting the visitors into a fourth minute lead after good work by fellow summer signing Greg Allen.

The Wildcats clawed their way back into the tie with two goals in a minute to lead at the first break.

In the second period, Swindon doubled their tally to four, without a reply from the Hawks.

Jason Hewitt, assisted by Worrall, scored the only goal of a tight final period, but it proved too little too late to alter the outcome of this opening group match.

The score was a fair reflection as the Wildcats had almost double the firepower, raining 32 shots in on new minder Tom Chamberlain, compared to 17 unleashed on Dave Clancy by the Hawks.

In the English Cup match in Blackburn, the Hawks concede an early goal but then led for most of the match, before allowing the Warriors to storm back in a tense finale.

Hewitt and Haig turned the deficit into a 2-1 lead at the end of the first session.

And goals from Wes Barnet, Scott Barnett and David Meikle saw the hosts take a 5-3 lead into the final period.

Indeed, the Hawks seemed to be cruising when David Sheffield set up Michael Brunton for a sixth. The Warriors, however, refused to be bowed and fought back with a three-goal burst to square the match.

Haig, sporting a broken nose after the game, said: "Some of the refereeing decisions were questionable, but I'm happy with my team."