Budgie having a Blast despite early cup loss
Kilbirnie gaffer left purring at signs of progress from team
THE state of the car wreck he’d inherited as Kilbirnie Ladeside’s manager was staring Budgie McGhie in the face last Wednesday night.
His 16-strong selection that lined up for the Blasties in their opening Ardagh Glass Cup contest at home to Kilwinning Rangers – a game they lost 4-2 – included just one player, goalkeeper Keiran Hughes, from last season’s Valefield squad.
Admittedly, rugged stopper Mick O’Byrne (suspension) and midfield playmaker Davie Anderson (holiday) were both unavailable for facing the Buffs.
However, the fact fully 15 Valefield newcomers were being pressed into competitive action speaks volumes about the frenetic close season of wheeling and dealing that has been forced upon the new man in charge during his 11 weeks at the helm.
Their defeat was a blow to Kilbirnie’s hopes of retaining the early season trophy they won last time out with a 1-0 victory over Auchinleck Talbot.
Budgie, though, was in no mood to write off his side’s chances of qualifying for the latter stages ahead of today’s short trek to Barrfields for a crunch clash with Largs Thistle.
He said: “The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up from watching some of our passages of play in the Kilwinning game.
“We were the better team first half and twice a goal to the good as well as leading 2-1 going in at the interval, but if truth be told we shot ourselves in the foot by not capitalising on a number of other clear-cut chances we created.
“Kilwinning are a decent side and came roaring back to score three goals from dominating proceedings second half and it probably sums the game up to say they punished us more than we punished them.
“That said, I was pleased with the signs of progress shown by the players out on the pitch though I’m sure they’ll be first to admit there is still lots of room for improvement.”
The experienced gaffer, boosted by the availability of both Anderson and O’Byrne for today’s encounter, is also happy with the early form shown by his Senior football recruits Gavin Mitchell and John Scullion.
HE REVEALED: “Gavin is a defender who was surprisingly released by Queen’s Park after figuring regularly in Gus McPherson’s thoughts while John joins us from Morton where he made almost 30 first-team appearances as a striker.
“He has sublime skills and once fully settled and with his fitness up to scratch, he will become a supporters favourite.
“Unfortunately, it’s not all good news on the team front as it’s looking like Gavin Stokes, brought in from Maryhill during the close season, is facing several months on the sidelines.
“He picked up a fairly innocuous “dead leg” injury from a knock to his thigh at a recent Saturday training session and went home where he was to keep icing his leg to prevent any swelling.
“But his knock became more painful and swollen as the day went on and he wisely attended hospital on the Saturday night where it was discovered he had ruptured the muscle which contained a massive blood clot.
“He ended up undergoing three operations during a five-day hospital stay and suffice to say he will not be making any return to playing action in the near future which is a shame for the lad as he was really looking the part.”
Not surprisingly Largs boss Stuart Davidson whose side’s Ardagh Glass campaign got away to a perfectp start throughg goals from Graham Muir and Laurie McMaster (2) bringing a 3-1 defeat of Ardrossan Winton Rovers is tipped to name a same again starting line-up. That means McGhie’s former Clydebank striker
discovery, Joel Kasabundi, will have to settle for a substitute’s berth.
Biggest game of the day in Ayrshire is undoubtedly the derby clash of Cumnock and Auchinleck Talbot which has the home side seeking to exact a fair semblance of revenge for a 5-1 mauling when the fierce rivals last locked horns – in the Ayrshire Cup Final back in June.
NOCK boss John McKeown has delighted in his side’s early season displays and not least of all the form of striking ace Sean McKenzie who has netted in every game up to now… his l atest score coming in Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over Kello Rovers.
McKeown admitted: “Sean has very quickly found his scoring touch and I just hope he has kept a goal or two in reserve for facing Talbo Talbot.
“We’ve ca came through a run of four games in 12 days but some guys are stills short of match fitness.
“So I’d h have liked to simply use the ArdaghArd games to get ourselves best prepared for the Super PremierPremie fixtures but there’s no chance o of our fans allowing us to give less than 100 per centin the derby ga game.
“And I k know our players are keen to makema amends for the heavy defeatdefea when the teams last met so it promises to be a typically fieryfi contest with no holds barre barred or given.”
McKeow McKeown was keeping his playing h hand close to chest, however bustling frontman Scott Anson,A a second-half substi substitute against Kello Rover Rovers, might have played hims himself into a starting jerse jersey to face a rejigged Au Auchinleck backline wh where Liam Weir and Ne Neil McPherson doveta tailed as twin stopp pers in their 1-0 midweek reverse at the hands of Glenafton.