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2017/18 Season News

MATCH PREVIEW - EAST KILBRIDE (H)


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MATCH PREVIEW - EAST KILBRIDE (H)

Posted October 12, 2017

It's William Hill Scottish Cup weekend and we open our cup campaign on Saturday when we welcome Lowland League champions East Kilbride to Central Park with a 3pm kick off.

The first ever meeting of the sides took place 51 weeks ago in the same round of the cup at Central Park with an early goal from Joao Vitoria being enough to see the new town side through despite having former Central Parker Kieran Gibbons sent off with half an hour remaining.

In the next round they lost 2-1 away to League One side Stranraer with the Blues winner coming with a minute to go.

We were of course destined to meet Kilby in the play off at the end of last season to preserve our 112 year old league status, doing so by the narrowest of margins.

After a goal less draw at K-Park with Kyle Miller seeing a late penalty saved by keeper Michael McGinty we raced into an early lead in the second leg at a rain soaked Central Park and dominated the early proceedings.

However East Kilbride gradually came into the match with Gibbons grabbing an equaliser midway through the second half with the match eventually going to extra time and penalties.

Cowden executed five well taken spot kicks with Fraser Mullen leading the way to be followed by Kris Renton, David Syme, Craig Johnton and Liam Henderson. Adam Strachan, Dom McLaren and Joao Vitoria replied for Kilby before Jamie Sneddon saved Paul Woods' effort.

Sneddon had been unlucky not to stop McLaren's effort knocking it onto the post before it rolled off the line, but signed off his short first team career in style before moving to Partick Thistle in the summer. Indeed Jamie started and ended his first team career with us facing a penalty - one for quiz masters in years to come!

After the disappointment of the play offs Kilby lifted themselves the following week to lift the South Challenge Cup beating fellow Lowland League side Cumbernauld Colts 4-2 in what proved to be Martin Lauchlan's last game in charge.

The summer saw Lauchlan leave K-Park to be succeeded by the experienced figure of Billy Stark who has managed Morton, St Johnstone, Queen's Park and the Scotland under 21 side as well as the full national side leading them to a 2-1 win over Luxembourg in November 2012, indeed one bookmaker was offering odds of 25/1 on him making a return to the job following Gordon Strachan's departure on Thursday!

He also had spells as assistant manager at Celtic, where he was also in charge for three games in 1997 after Tommy Burns left the club, and Albion Rovers where he spent the last two seasons helping Darren Young.

This season Kilby currently sit in third place in the Lowland League just two points behind leaders BSC Glasgow and a point behind second place Spartans. In the league they have won eight of their games,drawing three times and losing just the once to East Stirlingshire 5-0 in what was the clubs record defeat.

In the Betfred Cup they beat Stenhousemuir 2-1 at Ochilview and Queen of the South 4-1 on penalties at Palmerston following a goal less draw but lost their two home group games to Lanarkshire rivals Hamilton Accies 3-1 and Albion Rovers 5-2.

In the Irn Bru Cup they lost out 2-1 to St Mirren who came from behind to score two goals in the last five minutes with their winner coming in the last minute.

Former Cowden players still in the Kilby squad are the afore mentioned Gibbons, Declan Hughes and Martin McBride. Ross Caldwell briefly joined them from Brechin in the summer but has now moved to junior side Blantyre Vics.


MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE - Mat Northcroft ASSISTANT REFEREE'S: Gavin Harris & Paul Timmons.


ADMISSION

Visiting supporters will be housed in the old stand while Cowden fans are reminded that season tickets are not valid for this game.

ADULTS - £10

CONCESSIONS - £5

PROGRAMME - £2.50 (48 page full colour issue) with Josh Morris, who scored a hat trick this time last year for Hawick in a famous win over Berwick, being this weeks cover star.



Previewer: Andrew Mullen.
 

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