Pirates Bounce Back in Style After Tough Edinburgh Loss

The Paisley Pirates completed a weekend of mixed results with the perfect response on Sunday night — powering to a dominant 6–0 win over the North Ayrshire Wild just 24 hours after a late collapse saw them fall 6–2 away to the Edinburgh Capitals.

With momentum, mentality, and league points all on the line across the back-to-back fixtures, the Pirates showed both their ability to compete in hostile territory and — crucially — their capacity to reset and deliver a statement performance on home ice.

Saturday: Pirates Matched the Capitals for Two Periods

The Pirates travelled to Murrayfield knowing it would be a big ask, but the early stages of the game showed exactly why this Paisley side has been building a reputation for battling hard against strong opposition.

A tough, evenly-matched first two periods saw the Pirates go toe-to-toe with the Capitals, producing some excellent hockey at both ends of the ice. Goals from Chris Turley and Bari McKenzie ensured the sides were level at 2–2 heading into the third period — setting the scene for a tense finish.

Unfortunately, the final ten minutes didn’t go the Pirates’ way. As the game entered its closing stages, the Capitals found another gear and took advantage late on, pulling away to seal a 6–2 result. It was a disappointing end to a game that had been far closer than the scoreline suggests, and one that left the Pirates frustrated after such a strong opening 40 minutes.

Between the pipes, Daniel McGowan was outstanding and produced a string of fantastic saves to keep the Pirates in the contest. His performance was recognised with the Man of the Match award, which was accepted on his behalf by Chris Turley.

Sunday: A Statement Win on Home Ice

If Saturday ended in frustration, Sunday brought the kind of response that makes teams dangerous.

The Pirates came out with intensity from the opening face-off, applying pressure early and spending long spells in the offensive zone. That approach paid off as the Pirates built momentum, moved the puck well, and forced the Wild to defend for long periods.

The goals followed — and they came from right across the lineup.

Magnus Wrottesley got on the scoresheet, Bari McKenzie added another to his weekend tally, and Ryan Campbell also found the net. Meanwhile, Craig Peacock produced a clinical hat-trick to cap off a huge night for the Pirates in front of the home crowd.

At the other end, the Pirates’ defensive structure was equally impressive, limiting the Wild largely to outside chances and protecting the crease well throughout. The result was a deserved shutout — the kind of complete team performance that coaches love and opponents hate.

Jay Herd was named Man of the Match after a high-energy display that summed up the Pirates’ attitude on the night.

Ian Turley: “It was important to bounce back”

Head Coach Ian Turley emphasised the importance of the response after Saturday’s defeat:

“It was important to bounce back after last night. I didn’t think we played too bad last night but the last 10 minutes we were… we certainly weren’t there last night so to come back tonight… and put up a score line like that is always… always positive.”

Turley also acknowledged the Wild’s effort — and their netminder in particular — after a busy opening period:

“We had a lot of shots early on and… their goaltender played well… I think it could have been a lot more… but the goaltender absolutely made some decent saves… credit where credit’s due.”

The Pirates’ face-off work was another standout, with Turley highlighting progress in an area the coaching staff have been drilling:

“Face-offs is absolutely something that we’ve been working on… in terms of execution for goal scoring… ozone face-offs is one of them… we have to try and be ambitious on the draws… and try and execute and make something happen.”

Winning Weekend Across the Club

It wasn’t just the senior side celebrating.

It was winning ways all round, as the Lightning Pirates Under-19s also recorded a victory over North Ayrshire Wild Under-19s — rounding off a brilliant weekend for the wider Pirates setup.

Netminder Jake Reilly enjoyed a standout couple of days, featuring in the SNL game without conceding a goal, before returning to Under-19s duty and being named Man of the Match — a strong reflection of the depth and development coming through the club.

Next Up: Away to Kirkcaldy

The Pirates now turn their attention to next weekend’s road trip to Fife, where they will face the Kirkcaldy Kestrels. Full fixture information will be shared early in the week.

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