We won ugly but revenge was sweet
Hadden gives Thistle bragging rights in Greenock
Greenock Juniors..3 EK Thistle ............. 4
Scott Hadden hit the winner as East Kilbride Thistle claimed the bragging rights on a revenge mission in Greenock.
The Jags were undone by two lastgasp goals at the Showpark last month when Greenock snatched all three points, sparking wild celebrations from the visitors.
However, Thistle got their own back on Saturday in a seven-goal thriller, which ended with the hosts being reduced to 10 men.
A double from Scott McKean plus strikes from Scott Gillespie and Hadden delivered the win.
And match-winner Hadden said: “When they beat us at the Showpark they were celebrating like they’d won the league, so it was good to go there and get one over on them for that.
“A few of the Greenock players played against some of the boys when we were in the Amateurs last season (with EK Amateurs), so they were trying to wind us up a bit.
“One of the shouts was: ‘We know what this lot are about, so get stuck in.’ “But we didn’t let that get to us. “They had only lost one game going into it, so it was a good result.
“I’m on six goals now so I’m doing well. I said earlier in the season that I don’t score many and focus more on trying to set up the likes of Scott (McKean) and Dougie (Ryan), but it’s good that I am chipping in with a few goals.
“It was good to see the goals spread around the team as well.”
McKean gave Thistle the lead after 25 minutes before Gillespie doubled the advantage 10 minutes later with a composed finish inside the box.
Two minutes before the break Greenock pulled one back but just moments after the re-start McKean grabbed his second of the day.
If Thistle thought the job was done they were in for a big shock as less than a minute after McKean’s finish, Greenock hauled themselves back into the contest with two goals inside six minutes to tie things up at 3-3.
But the Jags responded well and regained the lead five minutes later.
Hadden latched on to Dougie Ryan’s through ball and slotted it past the keeper from 12 yards to win it.
Greenock’s misery was compounded in the closing stages when a player was sent-off for foul and abusive language.
Jags gaffer Alan Paterson said: “As soon as they had a guy sent off at 4-3, we just killed the game and made sure we saw it out. “I was happy with that. “We didn’t play as well as we did when we played them at the Showpark, but we’ve won so that shows you how strange football can be.
“I saw a different side to us. We are pleasing on the eye, but this is the first time I saw us do the ugly side of the game well.
“Losing the game to them the way we did last time, I thought we were a bit soft.
“Giffnock are a team who like to get in your faces and are happy to make it a battle, so it was good to see us respond well to that.
“We were quite happy for them to make it a battle.”