EK back in the groove following costly slump
Boss Kevin Rutkiewicz says a 3-0 win at Bo’ness United has East Kilbride back in the groove and ‘ready to rock and roll’ against University of Stirling on Saturday.
Following that, Kilby travel to West of Scotland Premier League side Auchinleck Talbot in the last 16 of the South Challenge Cup, and Rutkiewicz admit these are two games for his side to get their teeth into.
Neil McLaughlin got EK off the mark with a header from a Jamie Docherty cross, sub David Allasan set up Ronan Hughes for a second with four minutes left, and McLaughlin turned provider for Bob McHugh to add a late third.
Rutkiewicz was pleased with his afternoon’s work, particularly after a sticky spell for the K-Park club that has left them sixth in the Lowland League.
He said: “It was a strong performance against a team that were very well organised and hard to break down, so we had to be patient, and a clean sheet is a bonus.
“I thought the substitutes had a good impact, with David Allasan setting up one goal when he came on, but overall it was a really good day.
“I was really delighted with the three points, and that sets us up for a couple of big games.
“We have Stirling, and we follow that up with Auchinleck Talbot in the cup and I can’t wait – I feel as though we’ve got our groove back a wee bit.
“It has been a sore couple of weeks, there’s no doubt about that, and everybody at the club was hurting, not just the players and staff – the fans, the committee, everyone was hurting a wee bit.
“We seem to have bounced back a wee bit, now, so I’m looking just to carry on in that positive manner and keep putting our best foot forward.
“We can’t control anything that happens in the future, but what we can control is what happens on Saturday, and make sure we’re ready to rock and roll.”
Rutkiewicz denies he’s looking for revenge against a Uni side that clocked up a 2-0 win against Kilby in November, but is eager to reverse the trend.
He said: “We didn’t turn up against Stirling the last time at all, and definitely will be looking for the polar opposite.
“I just want to win every game. It’s always nice to reverse a fixture if you’ve been on the end of a defeat or a draw, and you always want to try and better the result you’ve had against somebody.
“On Saturday for me it’s not about revenge. We want to finish this season as strongly as we possibly can.”