Talbotappeal successsees EKFCexitcup

East Kilbride have been booted out of the South Challenge Cup after Auchinleck Talbot won an appeal over their expulsion regarding an ineligible player.

West of Scotland Premier League giants Talbot beat Kilby 1-0 at Beechwood Park on March 4 to move into the quarter-finals against Caledonian Braves on April 1.

East Kilbride appealed, because Talbot fielded goalkeeper Joshua Bradley-Hurst, who they had signed on an emergency loan from League One club Clyde, and who had played for Clydebank against Pollok in an earlier round.

But Talbot insisted they signed Bradley-Hurst because they knew Marc Fisher, who played for Troon in an earlier round, was cup-tied, but were told that the Clyde shot-stopper wasn’t.

It means the original outcome of the tie stands and East Kilbride will not face Braves this weekend.

Their match with Gretna 2008 which was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, has now been brought forward to this Saturday, kick-off 3pm at K-Park.

Speaking about the decision last week before he left the club, then EK boss Kevin Rutkiewicz said he was “perplexed”by the decision.

He said: “On the day, fair and square, Talbot beat us and I have absolutely no objection to the game itself. They were the better team on the day.

“But rules are rules, and I’m a wee bit perplexed as to how they’ve arrived at the decision, because whatever has happened doesn’t make the player any more eligible than what he was.

“It’s not how I wanted to progress in the cup, and if that’s the decision I wish Talbot all the very best in the cup, going forward. But it’s a wee bit perplexing to know that however many teams entered the competition have abided by the rules, and they seem to have, on the face of it, just been bent a wee bit.”