East Kilbride win soured by alleged racist abuse, says Mick Kennedy as Stranraer fan ejected
Mick Kennedy admits Portuguese midfielder Joao Balde being subjected to alleged racist abuse soured their win over Stranraer.
A visiting Blues supporter was ejected from K-Park moments after Balde scored a spectacular overhead kick to seal a 3-1 win for Kilby in a dramatic finish to the League Two clash.
The Kilby ace celebrated in front of the visiting support, which earned him a booking from referee Cameron Stirling, but he was then allegedly the victim of racist insults from one individual in the stands, causing a short delay to the match as Kilby players surrounded the away section.
Furious Kilby boss Kennedy then marched across the pitch to alert club officials and have the supporter kicked out.
Moments later, Balde's day got even worse when he was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for a late challenge on Lewis Reid.
EK held out for the 3-1 win, which came courtesy of a John Robertson penalty and a Rhys Breen strike before Balde's clincher.
But angry Kennedy told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "One of the Stranraer fans made a racist statement to Joao after he scored, unfortunately.
"I think that is twice that's happened to Joao - it happened with an Airdrie fan last season and now today.
"It is so unfortunate but that's where we are in society and football sometimes in this country.
"It just puts a bit of a downer on today, the fact he has to go through that. Some people are just very stupid.
"It is a strange thing to say, but unfortunately Joao just gets used to it. It is miles from acceptable, but he is okay after it.
"He was booked for celebrating in front of their fans, which is fair enough. I can understand it has antagonised the Stranraer fans a bit, but he doesn't deserve that.
"I don't think it was a second booking for him. He was probably a bit emotional after everything that has happened, as you would expect because it is not nice.
"Maybe the referee could have used a bit of common sense in the situation that's happened, but it is what it is.
"The referee asked me to go and inform the match secretary so we could get the person removed, so that's why I was going across the pitch in the middle of the game."
Kilby skipper Jack Leitch says he confronted the man in question and said it was "disgusting" and crazy to see, following a man being arrested on Friday night after Bournemouth palyer Antoine Semenyo was subjected to racist abuse in a Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Leitch said: "It is honestly crazy because you see it in that game last night and you think it's just so surreal, top players in the Premier League in England talking about it and then it happens here a day later. It is ridiculous.
"It happened to Joao last season and it is honestly just disgusting. It should just not be taking place, especially after scoring such an incredible goal and how well he played.
"He was probably our best player today and for him to stay that strong shows the character of him.
"Joao repeated what was said to me and then I called the guy out on it.
"The fan was denying it to me and I just stayed with Joao after it. It's just ridiculous and disgusting."
East Kilbride FC officials confirmed a supporter was ejected from the ground and they will review CCTV footage/match cameras before reporting the incident to the police.
Stranraer boss Chris Aitken, a former EK manager, said: "If that [racist abuse] is the case, we don't need that in the game and we don't need that associated with our club.
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