The_Judge

22nd October 2016: Scottish Cup - Round 2 Result Cowdenbeath - 0 East Kilbride FC - 1 Joao Victoria,

15th October 2016: South of Scotland Challenge Cup - Round 2 Result East Kilbride FC - 1 Gala Fairyden Rovers - 0 Adam Strachan with a stunning 30 yard free kick.

NATIONAL CALL FOR U-16 TRIO! . 08-Oct-2016 U-16 players Ross Taylor, Zak Lindsay and Lewis Payne have been selected to represent Scotland's SYFA Development squad. A fantastic achievement, and great credit to the players and coaches. To cap off their weekend the boys played in their teams' League game against Celtic BC with Kilby running out 2-0 winners with goals from Lindsay and Payne, maintaining their unbeaten run to remain at the top of the U-16 League.

Matchday 11 - 8th October - Cumbernauld Colts (A): Cumbernauld Colts 0 - 2 East Kilbride McNeil & Gibbons. MARTIN LAUCHLAN hailed his patched-up East Kilbride side for overcoming a series of injury problems to extend their lead at the top of the Lowland League to 10 points. The K-Park side managed to keep the winning run going despite a host of injuries and ailments. Goalkeeper Matt McGinley pulled out of the squad with a flu bug and No. 2 Jacob Kean, carrying an injury, replaced him but was unable to take the goal kicks. The likes of Sean Winter, Barry Russell and Martin McBride all featured, despite being nowhere near full fitness. And Lauchlan said: "It was very much a patched-up squad out there, so I'm delighted to get the win. "We've put in a good team performance without being brilliant. Barry is struggling with a hamstring injury, James Brough is out, so is BJ Coll, Michael Hardie's got a hamstring problem as well so the injuries have been piling up. "Martin McBride isn't 100 per cent as well and I had to put him on the bench. Sean Winter was back but he's only at 50-60 per cent, but with the depth of squad we have we've managed to come through this. "Three games in a week for a part-time team is always difficult and you never get the same level of performance in every game. "So it was important that we showed team spirit and character to get the goals. Kilby had an early warning in the opening 90 seconds when Stephen O'Neil headed over at the back post after Richard Kirwan's cross picked him out unmarked. However, with seven minutes on the clock the visitors took the lead when Joao Victoria showed great strength to hold off his marker and his cheeky back heel teed up Ross McNeil to lash the ball into the net. Dom McLaren might have done better with a header midway through the first half when he powered his effort over the bar from Adam Strachan's corner. Two minutes later Kilby were caught out again at the back post when nobody picked up Owen Ronald but, luckily for the visitors, he couldn't keep his effort on target. On the half hour mark McNeil headed over from Adam Strachan's delightful chip to the back post. Early in the second half Winter twice came close to doubling the lead when his rasping drive from just inside the box forced Chris Fahey into a good stop and moments later he headed over from Strachan's corner. Kilby's perseverance was rewarded in 71 minutes when Gibbons made it 2-0. Substitute Martin McBride lofted the ball out wide to Strachan and he slid the ball across the box for Gibbons to slot into the corner from 18 yards. Six minutes from time Colts almost got back into the game when sub Sean Brown's strike cannoned back off the crossbar and he headed the rebound over the top. East Kilbride are now 10 points clear of second place Dalbeattie Star, who lost 2-0 at home to Gretna, with a game and hand.

Matchday 10 - 4th October - Edinburgh University (A): Edinburgh Uni 0 - 4 East Kilbride East Kilbride made it a perfect 10 in the Lowland League tonight, with a commanding 4-0 win over Edinburgh University at Peffermill, to hit 30 points in the table after 10 straight League wins in season 2016/17 to date.... A Joao Victoria double, and strikes from Robbie Winters and Ross McNeil gave Martin Lauchlan's men another excellent three points. Kilby got off to the perfect start, going ahead from the penalty spot in the fourth minute, with top scorer Joao Victoria making no mistake from 12-yards. The visitors were made to work hard in the first half from impressive students, who played well, but were restricted to shots from distance. Just as half time looked to be arriving with one goal separating the teams, Adam Strachan and Ross McNeil combined expertly to set up Robbie Winters, who doubled the lead from ten yards with a fine finish in stoppage time at the end of the first 45. EK started the second half in commanding fashion, and Victoria added his second of the match, and Kilby's third, prodding home from close range after a right wing cross was spilled by the Edinburgh keeper. A highly satisfactory night for Kilby was concluded fifteen minutes from time, when Ross McNeil expertly headed home a pinpoint Adam Strachan cross to net his 8th goal of the season, and make it 22 wins in a row for Manager Lauchlan. Kilby face another away task on Saturday, when we visit Broadwood to take on Cumbernauld Colts in the Lowland League.

Matchday 9 - 1st October - Vale of Leithen (A): Vale of Leithen 1 - 2 East Kilbride Victoria & McNeil.

William Hill Scottish Cup - 2nd Round draw: Cowdenbeath v East Kilbride FC Tie scheduled to be played on Saturday 22nd October.

William Hill Scottish Cup 1st round - 24th September - Vale of Leithen (H): East Kilbride 9 - 1 Vale of Leithen Victoria [3], Winters [2], Strachan [2], Capuano and Hughes.

U-12's GO FREE WITH PAYING ADULT . 19-Sep-2016 Children under the age of 12, accompanied by a paying adult, will be give free access to K-Park for East Kilbride FC home games this season, as part of a new initiative launched by the club this week. Kilby Chairman Mark Horner commented, “We have seen a steady increase in attendances after our high profile exploits last season and good start to this campaign. However, we have noticed that there has not been as large in increase in numbers of children of primary school age, so we hope that this new offer, which will start on Saturday, will encourage local families with younger football fans to come along.” EK kick-off our 2016/17 William Hill Scottish Cup campaign on Saturday, taking on Vale of Leithen at K-Park, in a 3pm kick-off, and Horner believes this is a perfect chance for more families and new fans to get involved, commenting,” The Scottish Cup run last season captured the imagination of everyone locally, and it’s something that we would love to replicate. With the team top of the Lowland League and this season’s Scottish Cup campaign starting on Saturday, and it would be great to see K-Park packed, with everyone getting behind the team. http://www.ekfc.co.uk/announcements/u-12-s-go-free-with-paying-adult

The skill factor, in terms of technique, is far higher in the Portuguese top flight. When it comes to physicality the Championship is much tougher.

South Challenge Cup - 18th September - Civil Service Strollers (A): Civil Service Strollers - 1 - 2 East Kilbride Declan Hughes and Adam Strachan.

U-20 Lowland League Result, Friday 16th September: Whitehill Welfare - 2 East Kilbride FC - 7 Great start to the U-20 Lowland League campaign, as goals from Anton McGuigan (2) Lewis Doherty (2) Michael Jones (2) & James Cassidy gave EK a great win at Riccarton.

U-20 Lowland & East League Cup Section B, Result - Monday 12th September Edinburgh City - 0 East Kilbride FC - 6 Goal scorers for Kilby were Liam Craig (2) Blair Kidd, Michael Jones, Gavin Millar & OG. The victory ensures East Kilbride progress to the Semi-Final of the competition.

Nice facility

Congratulations guys on coming from behind to claim your first league point of the season

Matchday 8 - 10th September - Stirling University (A): 1. Matt McGinley2. Fabio Capuano3. Bernard Coll4. Barry Russell (c)5. Craig Howie6. Kieran Gibbons7. Sean Winter8. Martin McBride9. Adam Strachen10. Ross McNeil11.Joao Victoria Stirling University 1 - 3 East Kilbride McNeil, Strachan, Winter.

East Kilbride FC youngsters catch the eye of Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock. East Kilbride FC pair Gavin Millar and Morgan Smith are spending this week on trial with Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock. The professional trial opportunity comes after U20 defender Josh Macdonald signed for Raith Rovers last month. Midfielder Millar, who has become a regular feature in Kilby’s first team, and under-20’s left back Smith both starred for EK’s U20’s in a match at Rugby Park in July, catching the eye of Killie boss Lee Clark and U20 head coach Paul Stephenson. The professional trial opportunity comes after U20 defender Josh Macdonald signed for Raith Rovers last month and Kilby gaffer Martin Lauchlan is delighted that the duo are getting such an opportunity. He said: “It’s no surprise to me that our young players are catching the eye of a team like Kilmarnock, the feedback the whole U20 team received after the game at Rugby Park in July was fantastic and Killie were very complimentary. They immediately asked when Gav and Morgan were available to go down for a week. This further highlights the strength of our player development system at K-Park”. Eighteen-year-old Millar has been in sparkling form for Kilby since making his senior debut against Celtic in February and Smith, at just 17, has also sampled first team action against Partick Thistle and Dundee in pre-season. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/east-kilbride-fc-youngsters-catch-8786095

Apologies, I meant that pre-season I was expecting you to be favourites IF you could keep your squad together. As you say that's not been the case and probably explains why you haven't had a better start.

In the interests of balance I would say that I haven't heard any such talk (of winning the league by a large margin). EK finished 5th last season and lost their top scorer (Jack Smith) to Stenhousemuir and one of their best midfielders (Anton Brady) to Queens Park). Monies gained from the Scottish cup run should have given them a large boost in terms of trying to bring in better players but let's be honest they haven't exactly signed Lionel Messi. I personally wouldn't see failure to get promotion as a disaster. It's tough to win the LL then beat HL winners over two legs and then beat a team already in league 2 but we've now seen (courtest of EC) that it's possible. The clip posted via Youtube by EKFCtv was the first time I've heard the new manager speak and he didn't appear to cross any lines in terms of disrespecting his opponents. I personally expected East Stirlingshire to be favourites for the title although a big part of that feeling was keeping together a squad who have been used to playing at league 2 level. There was little between the teams on Saturday as there wasn't in most of our games against Edinburgh City last season and at this level you only have to lose a couple of key players and you're vulnerable to anyone. That in essence is one of the reasons I've been enjoying the LL so much albeit EC ran away with the title last season.

Might be that the pre-match hype got to the players. Only a single early goal between them. I felt EK had the better of the first half and then ES the better of the second. Was impressed with your numbers 7 and 9 who, at the time, I believed were Andy Rodgers and David Grant.

Matchday 7 - 3rd September - East Stirlingshire (H): Not sure what was going on with the strange numbering system today but have recorded in the traditional format. 1. Matt McGinley2. Fabio Capuano3. Barry Russell (c)4. Dom McLaren5. Craig Howie6. Kieran Gibbons7. Sean Winter8. Martin McBride9. Adam Strachen10. Anthony Marenghi11.Joao Victoria East Kilbride 1 - 0 East Stirlingshire Winter.

Was up at the K park earlier, they believe you guys are bringing 50 - 60 so hopefully it'll be in the region of what John said above.

See you at Three

Competition for places is fierce but his chance will come

Matchday 6 - 31st August - Gretna 2008 (A): Gretna 2008 1 - 5 East Kilbride Russell [2], Victoria, Winter, Winters.