Two third period goals from Marcus Murdoch turned defeat into victory as Kilmarnock Thunder stunned Kirkcaldy Kestrels with a 5-4 success in Fife on Saturday.

With only one win to their name, Thunder overturned a 4-2 deficit to take the points thanks to Murdoch, consigning the SNL champions to their first defeat in regulation time this season.

Thunder’s player-assistant coach Richard Thorp revealed how they pulled the victory off and admits the mood is still positive in that part of Ayrshire.

“We were delighted with the result and we’re still buzzing from it,” he said.

“It was about working hard, good communication and keeping positive and once we went ahead, we showed determination to not let it slip away and we now need to kick from here.”

Conor Duncan scored two in the opening six minutes to put Kirkcaldy on a good footing, but were pegged back as Thorp got one on the board on 28 minutes, followed by Mitchell Riley to level things at the half hour mark.

Kestrels re-asserted themselves as Andrew Findlay and Duncan again, to complete his hat-trick, restored the two-goal lead for the home side.

However Thunder had other ideas with Conner McNulty narrowing the gap to one then the two goals from Murdoch to give them a massive result on the road.

Meanwhile, Paisley Pirates picked up a maximum four points to get themselves back on track in impressive fashion over their two weekend games.

Against North Ayrshire Wild on Saturday, Ian Turley’s side ran up double figures in a 10-1 win at Auchenharvie to bring the feelgood factor back to the club after recent losses.

Ben Walker and Mikey Dobson put Paisley two up after the first period, but another four goals from them – courtesy of Gary Parker (2), Calum Blair and Ryan Parkin – really gave the scoreline a one-sided look.

Marty Simpson weighed in with a double of his own, before Dobson’s second and a shorthanded finish from Dean Hamilton completed the rout.  Keegan Cairns picked up a consolation for Wild in the third.

Pirates didn’t have it all their way when they hosted Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday as both teams served up a good advert for the SNL in a five-goal thriller, where Paisley edged it 3-2.

Calum Blair and Martyn Guy put the home side two up in the first period, but soon found themselves level as Joe Lynch, with his first goal for the club and skipper for the night, Chad Smith each netted for the Caps.

The game was on a knife edge until Mikey Dobson, his third goal of the weekend, struck with 21 seconds to go, to add another two points to their tally for the season.

RESULTS

Saturday:

North Ayrshire Wild 1 Paisley Pirates 10

Kirkcaldy Kestrels 4 Kilmarnock Thunder 5

Sunday:

Paisley Pirates 3 Edinburgh Capitals 2