Victoria is difference for Stark

Former Albion Rovers assistant Billy Stark believes that his East Kilbride players were undone by an outstanding attacking display from Joao Victoria.

Despite a dominant second half from the Cliftonhill men, the Lowland League champions came within touching distance of a replay late in the game.

Stark felt his side offered enough to the game to secure a win and didn’t get the breaks from the officials.

However, he believed the sparkling form of Rovers forward Victoria was the difference in the second half.

He told the Advertiser:“It was disappointing that by 10 minutes into the second half the game is almost out of our hands. You’ve got to praise the players for showing that bit of spirit after that.

“There is one that the goalkeeper was out of his penalty box – there is absolutely no doubt about that. You need the wee decisions to go for you – but in the end we didn’t deal with their front players well enough.

“We’ve got to look at it as a missed opportunity. That’s no disrespect to Albion Rovers –because they created chances and we didn’t do the basics right.

“It was basically the centre forward (Victoria) getting into wide areas and causing us a problem. That gave us a mountain to climb. We have to recognise we are playing against a League One team who have scoring capabilities and showed that again today.”