East Kilbride boss hails performance despite side dropping points in Linlithgow Rose draw

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Mick Kennedy insists he can’t be too critical of his East Kilbride side after they dropped points at Linlithgow Rose - because their performance was ‘excellent’.

The Kilby gaffer saw his charges held to a goalless draw in West Lothian as the league’s top scorers failed to find the target.

It is the fourth time the defending champions have slipped up this season, but they are only three points off unbeaten leaders Caledonian Braves with a game in hand.

Jack Leitch, Lewis Spence, Sean Fagan and Cami Elliot all went close but EK drew a blank.

While Kennedy was frustrated by the number of chances his side passed up to put Rose to the sword, he said he couldn’t fault his players for their effort against their fifth-place rivals.

He said: “I wasn’t pleased about us dropping points but I can’t be critical of the performance, we were excellent.

“It was one of those bittersweet ones where I was really happy with how we dominated the game, but we just missed some gilt-edged chances and Linlithgow didn’t even have a shot at goal. It is just one of those things.

“Linlithgow is a really hard place to go and their goalkeeper was the man of the match. Sometimes you need to recognise that and he really was outstanding for them.

“We drew there last season as well but it was a completely different game. That game was pretty even at times but we totally dominated.

“Don’t get me wrong, they had a big chance right at the end when they caught us on the counter-attack, but we dominated.

“I’m delighted with the level the players are showing because we’ve put in consistently high-level performances over the last four or five weeks.”

While Kilby may be playing catch-up to Braves for now, Kennedy says he isn’t focusing on their league position as they head into a game at home to Gretna tonight.

He added: “I don’t pay much attention to the table right now, given we’re only 14 or 15 games in.

“This time last year it was nip and tuck until January and then teams fell away and we won the league comfortably.

“There’s a long way to go before I start worrying about that.”

• Meanwhile, forward Tiwi Daramola has been put on the transfer list at his own request, following a lack of game time at K-Park since Kilby paid a fee for the player in the summer to sign him from Kelty Hearts.

Kennedy said: “There has been loads of interest in him. I think Tiwi is just deciding where is right for him. He’s not short of options.

“The fee we are asking for is very close to what we paid and there’s two clubs who have matched that and some that have matched his wages, so it makes me laugh when people say we are paying him crazy money.”

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