It was a tough start to our league one campaign as he made the trip to face newly promoted East Kilbride. Hampered by injuries to the Caleb Goldie, Chris McQueen, Benji Luissint, Jack Hannah, Kurtis Guthrie and the manager himself, there were four changes to the side that started against Queens Park. The three youngsters who joined from Kilmarnock on the cooperation loan agreement, Ruari Ellis, Aaron Davis and Cole Coughlin were all in from the start along with a trialist. Brodie Dair who signed a loan deal from Fulham on Friday night wasn’t involved as international clearance hadn’t come through.

After raising the league two title flag they won last year, the hosts were confident and pushed forward early. With just seven minutes on the clock, Ben Johnstone made a foul on Finlay Gray inside the box and former Queens player, Craig McGuffie fired the spot kick past Denzi Mehmet into the bottom right-hand corner.

Queens were under pressure but as Jack Stott’s shot took a deflection, it fell to Coughlin on the left-hand side of the area and his left foot shot forced a save from Shay Kelly.

Malek Zaid was a constant threat in the middle of the park and he wasn’t far away with an effort that he dragged just wide.

Midway through the half, Taylor Charters slipped a good ball into the path of Coughlin who went down inside the 18-yard area but ref Josh Hay gave a free-kick to the home side instead. It was better from the visitors and Charters again looked for Coughlin with a ball in from the left but the keeper got their first.

It proved to be a brief fightback though as Owen Moffat wasn’t too far away with a snap-shot with the outside of his right boot before McGuffie scored again to give Kilby a two-goal lead inside twenty-three minutes. This time he was first to react after Zaid’s attempt was blocked and fired the ball past Mehmet.

Queens did hit back and two minutes later, Liam Smith made his way forward and as he slipped the ball to Coughlin, he touched it into the path of Stott who made a great run to place the ball into the net.

Again, it was the hosts who threatened and Ellis cut out Moffat’s delivery before Davis cleared the danger. Minutes later Sean Fagan was too high with his shot. In the closing minutes of the first half, McGuffie was inches away from completing his hat-trick when his corner clipped the top of the crossbar. And Mehmet made a good save as Owen Calder held off Ellis and his left foot shot was saved by the keeper at the bottom corner.

They did find the net again with sixty seconds of the half remaining when Moffat played in a free-kick from the left-hand side and Gray headed home.

In added on time, Moffat made his way into the area before playing it back to McGuffie. He couldn’t connect properly and his shot ended up the wrong side of the post.

HALF TIME: East Kilbride 3 Queens 1

As the second half got underway the hosts continued where they’d left off and McGuffie was too high with an early free-kick.

Queens were toiling and just after the hour mark they fell further behind when Jamie Hamilton showed great composure and started a move in his own half, as the ball was played in from the right-hand side Gray finished well with a right foot shot from the centre of the box.

Three minutes later, Mehmet made a double save first from McGuffie then from Smith to keep the score down. The hosts then had a claim for a penalty when Smith looked to be pushed by Zander Mackenzie but the ref booked him for diving.

Queens injury list grew when young Josh Kelly who had come on as a substitute had to go off with what looked like a knee injury.

Things went from bad to worse with fifteen minutes to go when a ball in by Moffat was caught by the right foot of Darragh O’Connor and he got enough on it to force the ball under Mehmet to make it five.

It had been disappointing from Queens but Coughlin kept going and had two chances in the final five minutes. Hamilton made a goal-line clearance from the Killie loanee as he raced away and had Kelly beaten and with the last chance of the game, Mackenzie made a clearance to send the striker away but the keeper came out to block.

FULL TIME: East Kilbride 5 Queens 1

Teams:

East Kilbride: Kelly, Kyle (Calder 17), Hamilton, Fagan, Zaid, McGuffie (Balde 74), Gray, Smith, O’Connor, Armstrong & Moffat. Subs not used:

Queens: Mehmet, Charters, Stott, Smith, Mackenzie, Johnstone (Morton 84), Rogerson, Coughlin, Ellis, Davis (Thomson 84), Trialist (Kelly 56 (Gray 72). Subs not used: Petry, Newall & Harris.

Ref: Josh Hay

Crowd: 646