New boys' super start

Ice hockey

If the gap between the new elite and the rest was in doubt, it was emphasised with a vengeance on Sunday when five of the six fixtures saw Super League teams have little problem overcoming Premier League sides in the Benson and Hedges Cup.

If there were going to be any nerves, they should have belonged to Ayr Scottish Eagles. Newcomers this season and playing out of the new Centrum Centre, they visited fellow Super League side Newcastle Cobras on Saturday, followed by their first home match, to Telford Tigers, the next day.

Ayr proved themselves in the first period with the former Czech international, Jiri Lala, scoring either side of Canadian Sam Gorleau to take a 3-1 lead. Mike Bodnarchuk scored for the Cobras and pulled one back in the second period. However, another 3-1 period to Ayr, with two goals coming from David St Pierre, saw them to secure a 6-3 victory. Telford had beaten Kingston Knights 6-5 before arriving in Scotland and worked hard for another win. Their goaltender, Gavin Armstrong, won his team's man of the match award for facing 55 shots, nearly one a minute.

However, Ayr again wrapped up the match in the first period, leading 5-1 before completing emerging 8-2 victors. Six players shared the goals and handed out a warning to future opponents.

Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers renewed a rivalry that makes Everton and Liverpool look like kissing cousins, and there was little surprise that Jamie Van Der Horst of Sheffield was dismissed at the end of the first period for fighting.

It got worse when, three minutes into the second period, five players were sent to the penalty box after a fracas, including both netminders, Scott O'Connor and Piero Greco. Panthers won 6-4 after a 3-1 final period.