The victories took Lightning's winning run to six games since the start of the season - one of the best starts they have made in their five year history.

Few would have fancied Lightning's chances against last year's EPL Cup winners Flames on Saturday but it was the hosts that made all the running in the first period – outshooting the visitors 16-9.

However both defences reigned supreme with neither side being able to find a way through even when on the powerplay.

The breakthrough finally came on 16mins 46secs when Ales Parez shot only for his effort to find its way to Gary Clarke whose follow up went in off netminder Joe Watkins' legs while Rob Lamey was in the sin bin for a high stick offence.

If Flames came up with a plan to get back in the game during the break then it was quickly wrecked as Adam Carr laid the puck back to Clarke to fire to Watkins' right for the second goal on 21mins 18secs.

Lightning then ran into penalty trouble and were at least a man short for more than five minutes with Jozef Kohut going closest as his shot hit the crossbar while Flames had a two man advantage.

However the home side survived and it was not until both teams were reduced to four men that Neil Liddiard was able to push the puck out of defence for Lukas Smital to break away and beat goalie Barry Hollyhead with a high shot from distance.

The two goal lead was restored when Toni Alasaarela fed Clarke from behind the goal – the Brit then completing his hat-trick at 33mins 42secs with Lightning short-handed.

Forty seconds later Stuart Potts supplied Nick Cross to score Flames second while they were still on the powerplay.

Going into the third period the game was still anybody's to win and as it entered the final ten minutes both sides looked jaded.

Flames withdrew Watkins for the extra skater with just under a minute to go but he soon had to return to the net under Lightning pressure. A timeout with 15 seconds to go saw Watkins off the ice again before Alasaarela and Clarke broke away with the Finn providing the pass for Clarke to bag his fourth of the night at 59mins 59secs.

On Sunday Lightning went to the Riverside Centre and despite going 2-1 behind ran out 5-3 winners against a Chelmsford side who had won 11-6 at Telford Tigers the previous evening.

Parez put Lightning in front on a fourth minute powerplay but Rastislav Palov was provider for Scott McKenzie to level for the hosts on 7mins 29secs.

Mikko Mattila supplied Palov to make it 2-1 to Chelmsford on the powerplay at 18mins 16secs and that's the way the score stayed at the break.

Ross Bowers got in on the points scoring, assisting Nick Poole's equaliser at 24mins 57secs and Greg Randall then helped put his aide ahead against his old Chieftains' team mates at 30mins 13secs – the move being finished off by Alasaarela.

But Chelmsford were not finished with Palov levelling, assisted by Mattila at 31mins 37secs.

It was Lightning who went into the second interval ahead as Parez netted for his second goal after 34mins 55secs – assisted by Poole and Dan Croft.

Just when the game looked as though it was heading for a 4-3 result up popped Poole to seal the points with Lightning's fifth goal.


STATISTICS:

Lightning v Flames

Lightning scorers: Gary Clarke 4+0; Toni Alasaarela 0+4; Ales Parez 0+1; Adam Carr 0+1.

Flames scorers: Lukas Smital 1+0; Nick Cross 1+0; Neil Liddiard 0+1; Milos Melicherik 0+1; Stuart Potts 0+1; David Savage 0+1.

Shots on goal: On Barry Hollyhead 40/2. On Joe Watkins 36/4.

Chieftains v Lightning:

Lightning scorers: Ales Parez 2+2; Nick Poole 2+1; Toni Alasaarela 1+0; Ross Bowers 0+1; Greg Randall 0+1; Dan Croft 0+1.

Chieftains scorers: Rastislav Palov 2+1; Scott McKenzie 1+0; Mikko Mattila 0+2; Euan Forsyth 0+1.

Shots on goal: On Barry Hollyhead 32/3. On Mike Robinson 51/5.