Kinnoull crashout butboss isupbeat

Callum Booth scored his first goal for the club as St Johnstone defeated Morton 3-0 in the Scottish Cup fourth round on

Kinnoull manager Alan Cameron was proud of his players for running Premier Division side Penicuik so close on Saturday.

The Perth men went down 1-0 in the East of Scotland League’s Football Nation Qualifying Cup second round encounter at Tulloch Park.

A first-half finish from Sean Stewart was enough to separate the teams but Cameron was taking plenty of positives from the performance.

“I felt we probably deserved a draw against an excellent side,” he said.

“We played very well and tried to take the game to them as much as we possibly could while trying to limit Penicuik to long-range efforts.

“For the most part it worked very well and the whole team deserve huge credit for their work-rate and effort.

“Perhaps our quality in the final third could have been a bit better but the lads gave everything they had.

“On another day we might well have had a penalty kick for what looked like a blatant trip but it wasn’t to be on this occasion.”

Skipper David Gray, meanwhile, feels Kinnoull can make a name for themselves in the East of Scotland League.

He said: “The club is heading in the right direction both on and off the park and people can see that.

“The committee work tirelessly to ensure our park is in great condition and when we turn up on a Saturday all we have to concentrate on is the game of football.

“The boys are grateful for what they do. The club is very determined to do well and that is why we came to the East of Scotland League.

“We feel we can make a name for ourselves.”

Gray recently penned a new deal until the summer of 2021 as attention now turns to a league match against Edinburgh United this weekend.

“It was a no brainier for me really,” Gray said of his deal. “I’ve been at this club for years and enjoyed every minute of it. To be made club captain this season was a privilege and something I’m really proud of.”

East of Scotland Premier League side Jeanfield had their home match with Sauchie postponed at the weekend due to a frozen Riverside pitch. In the Juniors, the east Perthshire derby between Coupar Angus and Blairgowrie was called off, while Scone Thistle and Luncarty were both also out of action.