Big interview Bryan Prunty:
New striker sets his sights on‘must win’game
Bryan Prunty has humbled the Hoops at Parkhead and stunned the Sons with a famous overhead kick.
Now he’s setting his sights on putting Spartans to the sword on Saturday. The East Kilbride striker has arrived from Arbroath at the perfect time as the defending Lowland League champions prepare for a pivotal moment in their season. They hold a six point lead over their rivals going into the clash, but Spartans have four games in hand so Kilby know only a win will do at Ainslie Park – a venue where they have never emerged victorious in five previous visits. However, Kilby are able to call upon a proven goal scorer whose flashes of brilliance have helped pull off some big results over the years. Prunty has scored over 100 goals during a colourful career, which started at Celtic and even includes a blatant handball goal for Ayr in a Scottish Cup replay defeat to Kilmarnock. He burst onto the scene in 2004 when he helped Aberdeen end Celtic’s 77-game unbeaten run at home under Martin O’Neill, scoring the equaliser in a 2-1 victory. “That was huge,” Prunty recalls. “Leaving Celtic to play for Aberdeen and coming back to face a quite wonderful Celtic team at the time was great. “We went down there with a team that was very depleted. We were struggling and we lost an early goal to Henrik Larsson and Celtic were well on top. “Then I managed to get the equaliser, which was something special, and we scored in the last minute to win, so it is one of the results I’ll never forget. “It was a fantastic night and something nobody can take away from me.” Since then his journey has taken him to Inverness, Alloa and his hometown club, Airdrieonians, three times. But Prunty’s goal scoring abilities are best illustrated by his stunning acrobatic effort for Dumbarton against Livingston five years ago, a goal of the season winner that has racked up more than a quarter of a million views online. “Anyone who ever talks to me about football always mentions that goal,” he revealed. “People do go on about the handball one as well. I think that’s because it was live on Sky and it was a totally unbelievable moment [that the goal stood]. “But the goal everyone really remembers me for is the overhead kick for Dumbarton. “It’s getting a wee bit difficult to replicate as I get older, so I’ll need a wee bit longer to recover now if I’m
I’m under no illusions. I know it’s not going to be easy. I’m not going to rock up and walk into the team
going to try those things. But I’m excited to be at East Kilbride. I’ll work hard for the team and if I can chip in with some goals along the way that would be great.”
After enduring mixed fortunes at Arbroath, where he won the League Two title last term only to find himself on the bench this season, the 35-year-old arrives at K-Park hoping to find his shooting boots again.
He could only muster two goals in 33 appearances for the Red Lichties, but he’s determined to end Kilby’s Edinburgh hoodoo in a clash that will make or break their season.
Prunty said: “It’s a must win game - there is no point beating about the bush.
“Since I’ve arrived everyone has been talking about the Spartans game.
“If Spartans win we would have a real mountain to climb when their games in hand come into play and they pick up points here and there.
“They’ve got players who will hurt you and, it doesn’t matter what level you are playing at, you need to respect the opposition.
“I know one or two of their players. I played with Gavin Malin at Arbroath and he’s moved to Spartans recently, so I know his qualities.
“But we are going there to win - as we will do in the rest of the games this season.
“I didn’t know East Kilbride haven’t won there before, but that record has got to be broken at some point, so hopefully we can do that.
“We know it will be a tough game, but it’s huge for both sides and there will be a good crowd there. “That’s why I came here, to play in games like this.” The destiny of the title may be in Spartans’ hands, but Prunty insists he’s happy to be in East Kilbride’s position going into the business end of the campaign.
He added: “They’ve got four games in hand, but I’ve been in that position before and it’s not easy.
“It’s alright saying you’ve got games in hand and if we win this we’ll go ahead. It’s never quite as easy as that and I’d rather have points on the board.
“I’m sure Spartans are thinking they’ve got a great chance, but we’ll look after ourselves first and foremost and see where it takes us.”
Having won promotion twice with Dumbarton, Prunty knows what it takes to go the distance in the play-offs.
It’s something Kilby couldn’t quite manage last term as they lost to Cowdenbeath on penalties in the League Two final.
Just two weeks into his stint at East Kilbride, he reckons they have the qualities to go up this season if they can pull off back-to-back title wins.
“To make it through or win a league, there’s got to be a togetherness at the club and a good dressing room,” he said. “I was part of a fantastic dressing room last season – and this season – at Arbroath and I firmly believe it’s because we had a good dressing room that we managed to get promotion. “And I’ve seen that already at East Kilbride. “I sampled winning the league for the first time last season and I’ve been fortunate enough to win a couple of promotions. To do it with East Kilbride as well would be right up there.
“In my career I’ve played against Barry [Russell], Adam [Strachan] and Sean [Winter] and I played with David Proctor and Tony Wallace, so I know what these guys bring to the table.
“Hopefully, I can use my experience to help them along.
“But I’m under no illusions. I know it’s not going to be easy. I’m not going to rock up and walk into the team.
“They are top of the league for a reason and I know I need to work hard because the guys are doing terrific.
“I haven’t played a great deal of football, but hopefully I can repay the manager and help the team by scoring goals.”