Kilby riding high
Boss says cup shootout victory is a massive lift
East Kilbride boss Stuart Malcolm says their penalty shootout win over Premiership side St Mirren in the Betfred Cup is a huge boost ahead of their Lowland League title defence.
Kilby recorded the best result in the history at K-Park on Saturday when they stunned Jim Goodwin’s men, holding them to a 0-0 draw over 90 minutes before going on to earn a bonus point with a 6-5 victory in the shootout. It was one of only five non-league wins or draws against top flight opposition since 1960. The Lowland League gets underway this weekend, but Kilby don’t start their campaign until next Wednesday due to their involvement in the Betfred Cup. EK will travel to Dalbeattie Star for their opener on July 31 and Malcolm is in buoyant mood after watching his charges perform so well against a top flight outfit. He said: “Everyone knows we are using these Betfred Cup games as preseason, but we still want to get positive performances and that was one of them.
“There’s a huge gulf in the levels St Mirren are at compared to us, but we still managed to pass the ball well in spells and I was very pleased with everyone.
“In our league we’ll see more of the ball, but this will give us huge confidence.
“As long as we play at that level and show that commitment, it will stand us in good stead for the league.
“We were missing Darren O’Dea, who has obviously been brought in to be a big influence, and Craig Malcolm who is still to come back.
“He’s a massively influential player for us, our club captain and a player who knows how to get goals, so we’ve still got masses of experience to come back into the squad as well.
“It’s been a really good preseason for us so far.”
Before the league campaign gets underway, there’s still more exciting tests to come.
As the News went to press last night, EK were about to kick-off against League Two Edinburgh City in their penultimate Betfred Cup group match and on Saturday they travel to Fife for their first-ever meeting with Dunfermline.
The Pars currently top the group and beat St Mirren in the opening game of the cup section, but Malcolm is looking forward to another challenge.
He said: “Dunfermline will be another big test for us, especially away from home.
“It’s a huge ask for a Lowland League club and we’ll give them the respect they deserve. “But I’m confident in our guys and I know what we’ve got.
“In one off games I think we can compete with a lot of sides up to the Championship and League One.
“On our day we can give these teams a good game.”
Malcolm is expecting to ring the changes as he plots his best starting 11 for the league.
He added: “We will probably try and get some other boys game time on Saturday.
“We’ve got to be careful with Ryan Sinnamon. He’s got a wee issue with his thigh and Danny Carmichael has got a wee issue with his hip, so we just need to manage them properly.
“My job is to have them fit for the league season, so we will be careful with the squad we put out.”
Stuart Malcolm hailed goalkeeping hero Alan Martin after East Kilbride earned the greatest result in their history.
The Lowland League champions stunned Premiership side St Mirren by beating them 6-5 in a penalty shootout in the group stages of the Betfred Cup.
The clash at K-Park ended in a goalless stalemate over the 90 minutes, with Martin producing a string of saves to keep the top flight side at bay.
And in the shootout, former Queen of the South keeper Martin saved Cody Cooke’s kick following a retake and that allowed David Brownlie to earn Kilby a bonus point.
EK gaffer Malcolm beamed: “You can see Alan’s qualities with the saves he’s made and that was the reason we brought him in.
“We are absolutely delighted with the performance and the effort.
“If we play like that in our league it will stand us in good stead.”
Kilby started brightly and in the opening five minutes Sean Winter twice got a sight at goal, but nudged his efforts wide on both occasions.
The hosts continued to dominate possession in the early stages with Anton Brady and Winter pulling the strings in midfield as EK tried to create an opening.
Saints had suffered a defeat to
Dunfermline in their group opener and last week scraped past League Two Edinburgh City 1-0, and they were slow to get going again here.
It took the visitors 22 minutes to create their first opening when Oan Djorkaeff – the son of France 1998 World Cup winner Youri – beat the offside trap and ran in on goal, but Ryan Sinnamon got back superbly to poke the ball away as the Frenchman looked destined to score.
That sparked a flurry of Buddies attacks with Stephen McGinn’s effort from a corner forcing Martin into a save down low and Kyle Maggenis rounding the Kilby keeper before hitting the side netting from a tight angle moments later.
In 37 minutes Winter appeared to catch Ethan Erhahon napping in his own box and fired at goal, but referee Colin Steven penalised the EK man for a foul.
Saints should have been ahead in 43 minutes but Martin made a terrific double save to deny Danny Mullen. First he blocked his thumping 15-yard drive from Stephen McGinn’s ball over the top and then he somehow turned away Mullen’s follow up strike on the rebound.
Three minutes after the break Mullen tried to make amends with a low strike from distance but Martin was equal to it and seconds later he glanced a header narrowly wide.
The visitors dominance continued and they came close to a winner in 74 minutes when Cammy MacPherson whipped a dangerous ball to the back post, but Cooke’s bullet header flashed over the bar.
Martin came to EK’s rescue once again in 80 minutes when he produced a stunning instinctive save to turn away Jim Kellerman’s strike as it came through a sea of bodies.
EK, who were without the experience of ex-Celtic and Dundee defender Darren O’Dea, defended valiantly to earn a draw.
In the shootout, Sinnamon was the only one to miss as Danny Carmichael, Craig Reid, Ross Kavanagh, BJ Coll, Dean Cairns and Brownlie were all successful for Kilby.
Paul McGinn, Tony Andreu, Flynn and MacPherson had Saints in control before Danny Mullen blazed over to let EK back in.
Djorkaeff then scored for the visitors but Martin saved from Cooke’s effort after the initial penalty was retaken. Ref Colin Steven had failed to blow his whistle on the first occasion.
Martin’s ave from Cooke then allowed Brownlie to earn EK a famous result.
Malcolm added: “It was very pleasing. The first half we saw a little bit more of the ball, especially the first 25 minutes.
“After that they started to get a foothold on the game, without really causing us too many problems other than the double save from Alan.
“There was a couple of instances where we tidied up, like when young Ryan Sinnamon got back to nip the ball of Djorkaeff ’s toes. “We defended excellently. “But we did pass the ball well also. That’s very difficult against a team like St Mirren, so we are pleased with that.”
It was embarrassment, however, for new Buddies boss Jim Goodwin.
He said: “Obviously we are disappointed. We should be able to break down teams like East Kilbride.
“I know they made life difficult for us and they put 10 men behind the ball, but they didn’t surprise us. Their keeper ends up as man of the match and deservedly so. I thought he made some great saves.
“The bottom line is we are the Premiership team coming to a team in the Lowland League and we should have enough to win the game.”
EK played Edinburgh City as the News went to press last night and on Saturday they close out their Betfred Cup campaign away to Dunfermline. Kick-off at East End Park is 3pm.