East Kilbride 3 Stranraer 1: Kilby strike late on to edge Blues in dramatic finish
East Kilbride left it late to grab their first home win in the SPFL - sending a trio of ex-gaffers home empty-handed on their K-Park return.
The Blues sported THREE former Kilby managers in the dugout, with Chris Aitken, Stevie Aitken and Martin Fellowes all having been at the helm in the past few years.
But after giving their former employers a scare, Kilby struck twice in the final nine minutes to edge some familiar faces in a dramatic finish to the League Two that also saw scorer Joao Balde sent off.
Stranraer looked like they might take a point when Sallu Turay struck four minutes into the second half to cancel out John Robertson's 33rd minute opener from the penalty spot.
However, Rhys Breen blasted home inside the box in the final nine minutes and then Joao Balde netted a diving header to make it back-to-back wins for Mick Kennedy's men after their opening day defeat at home to Spartans.
Balde was booked in the aftermath of his goal, with something clearly said by one of the visiting supporters as he celebrated, and he picked up a second booking just moments later to get his marching orders.
It leaves EK third in the table after three games.
Kilby made just one change from their midweek Challenge Cup win over Queen of the South, as John Robertson came into the starting line-up at the expense of Jack Healy. The visitors named the same side that defeated Alloa in cup action, with ex-EK man BJ Coll on the bench.
Inside six minutes Kilby came agonisingly close to taking an early lead when Sean Fagan made a great run in behind and his delivery across the face of goal was a whisker away from being met by skipper Jack Leitch at the back post, but his outstretched leg couldn't get a touch on it to turn the ball home.
Lewis Dobbie had the ball in the back of the net for EK just moments later with a thumping volley from the edge of the box, but the near-side official had his flag up for an offside in the build-up.
The Blues went close themselves in the ninth minute when Finn Ecrepont burst down the right and his pinpoint cross picked out Corey O'Donnell. However, the former Motherwell kid couldn't divert his effort on target from a great position.
In 16 minutes Dobbie was denied at point-blank range when his header was well kept out by Josh Lane.
Down the other end, Stranraer continued to look dangerous down the right and they were twice able to get deliveries across the face of goal. Again, though, O'Donnell failed to find that killer touch to make them pay.
And that came back to haunt them in 33 minutes when Kilby took the lead from the penalty spot. Fagan got into the box down the right and marker Finn Ecrepont hauled him to the ground just inside, leaving referee Cameron Stirling to point to the spot.
It looked a touch soft, but Kilby didn't care and Robertson powered his penalty beyond Lane, who managed to get a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.
Lane did well to keep out a curling effort from Robertson in 39 minutes, as Kilby threatened to double their lead before the break.
Stranraer thought they had equalised right on half-time when Mark Russell's corner was headed home at the back post by Evan Dunne. As the Stranraer players celebrated, the referee awarded a foul against Kilby keeper Freddie Owens and the visiting fans were quickly silenced.
Magnus MacKenzie then got a vital touch in the last attack of the half to deny O'Donnell an equaliser and Kilby kept their advantage going into the break.
However, Stranraer did pull level four minutes into the second half. Turay picked up possession in his own half and then his pace took him beyond his marker and into the box, where he made no mistake. He kept his cool and slid the ball under Owens to find the back of the net, despite the best efforts of Rhys Breen racing back to the goalline.
A rasping Lewis Reid drive in 65 minutes flew just over the top as the Blues threatened again.
Kilby turned to their bench with winger Nathan Flanagan and returning striker Cami Elliott coming on to try and find a winner, with Dobbie and Keir Foster making way.
The hosts got away with one when Owens couldn't keep hold of a strike and O'Donnell almost pounced but his first touch inside the six-yard box was heavy and he knocked the ball just out of touch before he could try to turn the ball home from an acute angle.
Elliott should have done better with a free header in the centre of the box from a Leitch corner on 78 minutes, as Kilby pushed to find a winner.
Nine minutes from time, Jack Leitch's acrobatic effort in the box was blocked and the loose ball fell to Breen to blast home the rebound.
Joao Balde then sealed the points in 89 minutes with a diving header into the bottom corner.
Something was said to the Kilby player from a supporter in the Stranraer end, forcing a long stoppage in play, and Balde was booked for his protests amid Kilby players showing their digust towards the visiting end.
Balde then picked up a second booking for a foul on Lewis Reid to end the game on a bit of a sour note.
Kilby now travel to Stirling Albion on league business next weekend.
EAST KILBRIDE: Owens, Breen, Ferguson, NacKenzie, Fagan, Leitch, Spence, Balde, Dobbie (Elliott 60), Foster (Flanagan 60), Robertson.
Scorers: Robertson 33, Breen 81, Balde 90
Bookings: Fagan, Robertson
Sent off: Balde
Subs not used: Morrison, Sula, Hamilton, Healy, Lyon, Mimnaugh.
STRANRAER: Lane, Rough, Ecrepont, Dunne, Reid, McManus (Hunter 39), Russell, Dolan, Turay (Stuart 71), Quigg (Edgar 84), O'Donnell.
Scorers: Turay
Bookings:
HT: 1-0
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
a minute ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Some might say he's rugby royalty… but Chris Farrell is a lowlife in the eyes of anybody with a shred of decency
Clogher Valley invited ex-Ireland international Chris Farrell to fun day despite serious conviction Chris Farrell should be persona non grata at sporting events in Northern Ireland. Capped 15 times, the former Ireland international may be regarded by some as rugby royalty, but he's a lowlife in the eyes of anybody with a shred of decency.
Scotsman
a minute ago
- Scotsman
'Not normal for a young guy' - Inside Lennon Miller's rise to Serie A amid comparisons to €28m man
The Scotland international has left boyhood club Motherwell for Italian top flight stalwarts Udinese Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Some might say the only surprise over Lennon Miller's transfer to Serie A outfit Udinese is that it took so long for him to get there. Speak to anybody who's been around, played with or coached the latest Scottish export to Italy, and the timing is just like his style on the pitch. Calculated, precise and mapped out within an inch of its life. That is how the teenager dictated play in the Motherwell midfield, a club that has just sold him for a record-breaking fee, a place he's called home since the age of seven and that has helped him deal with plenty that few his age have. He lost his mum, Donna, who passed in 2012 after having cancer. At five years old, Miller sought an escape in football and built a mentality that matured him beyond his formative years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "That's probably one of the biggest aspects of his development, his mental side of it," said Fir Park academy director David Clarkson, who came across Miller at under-13 level. 'His approach to his journey, his approach to progressing, how mature he's been from a young age. Even back then and that young, he had a level head on him. He's dealt with a lot through his life, and he was just so down to earth and so willing to learn and helpful. Probably mature beyond his years.' How Lennon Miller made himself a top talent It was clear before his Motherwell debut at the age of 16 against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in August 2022 that this was to be arguably the Steelmen's hottest academy product. No mean feat from a system that's produced fellow Scotland internationalists James McFadden, David Turnbull, Max Johnston and many others. So when did the wider football audience get a whiff of what those in ML1 had sensed for years? It wasn't a debut where he became the youngest-ever player in Motherwell's 139-year history, not his senior Scotland bow, neither turning Celtic captain Callum McGregor inside-out with a roulette spin at the age of 17 or skippering Motherwell at Hampden against Rangers, but on a summer's day away at Elgin City. It had come about thanks to a Jamie Murphy summer. Never heard of that phenomenon? Allow this scribe to explain. The ex-Brighton, Rangers and Hibs attacker plus current Ayr United veteran was an emerging Motherwell talent and netted his first goal during a 2-0 win away at Hibs in 2008. There was some doubt over his ability to handle the physical side of the game until he beefed up over that summer and went on to make 213 Motherwell appearances, becoming the club's record European goalscorer before moving to Sheffield United. So as Miller came back from his debut season with a demeanour that looked 26 and not 16, it set the scene for a breakout campaign two years ago, starting with a well-taken strike in victory at Borough Briggs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I think his face had even changed," former teammate Dan Casey recalled. 'He just looked a bit older. I'm sure he put in a lot of work that off-season, because it definitely showed.' "That kind of moment for me just stood out," Clarkson said of his goal on League Cup duty. 'I think that moment for me was 'that's the boy.' Everything was there, and we'd seen it for years and just hoped he got the opportunity and hoped he did progress.' Every press conference, every time a pundit discussed Motherwell, every time the club was brought up in passing conversation, Miller was the centre of it all. For Michael Wimmer arriving as Motherwell manager with zero Scottish football experience last February, he got very accustomed to the teenager before his hasty exit in May amid personal circumstances. Enzo Millot comparison Having managed at Austria Wien and coached in the Bundesliga with Augsburg then Stuttgart, he's used to working alongside elite talent. Miller ranks in his five-man VIP club of players that includes Enzo Millot, Tottenham defender Kevin Danso, Juventus' Argentine international Nico Gonzalez and Wolves forward Sasa Kalajdzic. If you're not acquainted with French midfielder Millot, Stuttgart sold him days before Miller's Udinese move at a cool price of €28 million to Saudi side Al-Ahli. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Lennon is in the top five talents I've worked with,' said Wimmer, who now manages German third-tier side Jahn Regensburg. 'In the six position to compare it with Lennon, it's perhaps Enzo who is similar to him. Lennon played without mistakes. If he had 100 passes, he completed 99 passes to the teammate. This is not normal for a young guy.' Wycombe Wanderers defender Casey had a front-row seat to striker Evan Ferguson's rise at Irish side Bohemians before switching to Brighton, now with Roma. He'll be a keen observer of Udinese's battles versus I Giallorossi this season in Italy's top flight, but Miller's emergence brought flashbacks while the Irishman was in Lanarkshire. The only thing Miller seemingly didn't do at Motherwell was pull his weight in car schooling alongside Stephen O'Donnell and Calum Butcher. Given he was 16 when Casey shared one with him, it wasn't too shocking. 'I think he actually got away with murder,' Casey joked. 'Time went on, and I ended up not being in his car school, so he probably didn't have to drive much for me. I'll get some petrol money off him in the future! I've been around players that have been in high demand. With Lennon, it was sort of every transfer window that there were new names coming into the pot. I was with Evan Ferguson and he was breaking into the first team at 14 or 15. He was generational. He was so big at that age that he could actually break in at such a young age, which is crazy to think. 'He started coming up and training with us towards the end of my time there. I was only there for the last couple of months when he'd made his debut and stuff. I've obviously been with Lennon the last few years and I was even younger when I was with Evan. I was thinking to myself, these lads are breaking in at this age, they're going to go on to have serious careers. Both of them, I've no doubt, will do." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How will Lennon Miller fare in Serie A? So what's next for Scotland's latest import to Italy after the likes of Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson and an ever-expanding list of Scots making their name abroad? Away from the bright lights of Milan, Rome and Turin with Udinese, who have been in the top flight since the 1995/1996 season, there will be an opportunity to grow into the superstar many hope he can be. Wimmer's knowledge of new manager Kosta Runjaic from his time in Germany gives him confidence that Miller's short time working under his high-tempo tactics can prove beneficial to adapting abroad. Scottish football will hope he is correct.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Stranraer were 'unlucky' admits East Kilbride boss, as side see big calls go their way in win
Mick Kennedy was happy to get out with a 3-1 win after his side were given a real run for their money East Kilbride boss Mick Kennedy admits Stranraer were unlucky not to take something off his side after a dramatic finish in a 3-1 defeat. In a game that was soured by alleged racist abuse towards EK's Joao Balde, the sides fought out an entertaining battle in the League Two clash and the Blues will feel hard done by after seeing a soft penalty awarded against them and a goal chalked off for a foul on Kilby goalkeeper Freddie Owens in the first half. Stranraer fought back after the break to cancel out John Robertson's penalty opener and it looked like they might take a point. However, Rhys Breen blasted home inside the box nine minutes from time before Balde's spectacular overhead kick sealed the points. In the aftermath of that, Balde was booked and allegedly verbally abused, before then seeing red for a second bookable offence in stoppage time. And Kennedy, whose side are up to third in the table, admitted: "We had 70 per cent possession in the game but we've got to be better in possession because we were slack at times today. "I thought Stranraer were unlucky. They looked really dangerous on the break and a couple of decisions went against them, to be honest. I thought they were genuinely unfortunate. "Their boy [Corey] O'Donnell has missed what you would classify as two sitters and they will feel a bit disappointed to go in at half-time 1-0 down. "I thought the penalty we got was a bit contentious as well. It just looked like a coming together, rather than a foul, so I thought Stranraer were a bit unlucky. "Every team we play this season will sit in against us this season, I don't expect anyone to have a go, but we've got to do better. "It is three points so we take it and move on." EK were up against THREE former bosses in the Stranraer dugout, with boss Chris Aitken joined by brother Stevie and Martin Fellowes. Chris was left to rue some big missed opportunities as his side remain pointless after three games. And he said: "We've had major chances to go and win a couple of games. When you get chances against a team of this quality, you need to take them. "It is tough to take because we know how good a team they are, but my team relished the contest. We could have scored five or six and there would have been no complaints and Mick said that to me after the game. We've got to get a win on the board and it must happen next week. "Their penalty isn't a penalty. We've watched it back. To have two big calls in the first half go against us is tough. "The linesman is 50 yards away, there are 19 bodies in the way and he says their goalie got blocked. That is some vision if he sees that. "But we can't feel sorry for ourselves, the next game is massive."
