Match Report
It was anther away trip this Saturday to play East Kilbride in this West of Scotland League game. Both teams are trying to bounce back to the third division so this was not going to be an easy game for Carluke.
East Kilbride were on the front foot right from the outset and took the lead in only the second minute. The EK winger cut in from the right hand side and hit a low shot with his left foot from 20 yards into the bottom corner that left the keeper with no chance. 1-0 East Kilbride.
In 8 minutes Carluke nearly hit back when a good cross from Mark O’Reilly but Dean Bell could only chest the ball down into the arms of the East Kilbride keeper. This however was a brief respite for Carluke as only a minute later EK were to double their lead. A shot from the left was only parried by the Carluke keeper into the path of the no7 who had the easiest of tasks to knock the ball into the empty net to make it to 2-0 to East Kilbride.
Then in the 30th minute East Kilbride extended their lead further when poor defending at the back when under no pressure the defence gave the ball away and it was knocked across goal for the No8 to find the back of the net to make it 3-0.
Apart from these setbacks Carluke were also getting forward and pulled a goal back in the in the 38th minute. The ball found it’s way to the backpost and almost from the byeline Craig Rutherford directed it back across goal and in on the far post. 3-1 to East Kilbride at halftime.
At the start of the second half Carluke were looking to capitalise on the lifeline that Rutherford had provided with their first goal but just as they did in the first half they only lasted a minute before conceding a goal.Another run down the wing saw the ball passed in to the East Kilbride No8 wh had the easiest of tap ins. 4-1.
Despite the scoreline Carluke had several good chances as the game wore on falling to Rhys Park who side footed over the bar, Greg Miller whose shot was brilliantly saved by the East Kilbride keeper, then Stephen Gemmell headed past the post from close range before Carluke hit the bar in the last minute.
That said East Kilbride also had several chances and took two of them in the 58th minute and 67th minute to make the final score 6-1.