Cup winners Kilby hailed for heroics by Hartson

JOHN HARTSON has sent his congratulations to East Kilbride on their Lowland League Cup win over Bo’ness United.

The Celtic hero is honourary chairman at Kilby and after the club ended a three-year wait for silverware he took to Twitter to hail the team.

Kilby boss Kevin Rutckiewicz, who only took over as manager in March, guided the side to a 4-2 win at Ainslie Park in Edinburgh to claim his first trophy with the club.

And afterwards Hartson tweeted: “Congratulations East Kilbride FC on winning the Lowland League Cup – certainly a club on the way up.”

Portuguese striker Joao Victoria broke the dealock in a tight first half with a neat finish in the 37th minute.

And after the break it rained goals. Bo’ness pulled level in bozarre circumstances when Kilby keeper Conor Brennan left a ball he thought was landing over the bar, only for it to dip into the net seven minutes into the second half.

But EK always looked in control and regained the lead in the 63rd minute when Liam Watt curled a strike into the top corner before Cammi Elliot’s diving header made it 3-1 in the 70th minute.

Kilby put the game to bed with a stunning fourth goal as Neil McLaughlin used the outside of his boot to fire the ball into the top corner.

Bo’ness did manage to pull a goal back three minutes from time but it was Kilby’s day.

East Kilbride skipper Chris Millar, the former St Johnstone Scottish Cup winning star, then collected the trophy to end his first season at the club with a winner’s medal.

Kilby are two-time winners of the Lowland League and the ambitious club’s next aim will be to follow the likes of Bonnyrigg Rose, Kelty Hearts, Cove Rangers and Edinburgh City in earning promotion to the SPFL through the pyramid play-offs next season.