East Kilbride boss Mick Kennedy has warned his team not to be on the end of another early Scottish Cup exit, as they look to make amends for last season’s 7-0 shocker at Tranent.
The Lowland League champions welcome Gretna 2008 to K-Park for a first round tie on Saturday, with the pain of last term’s second round hammering at Tranent still fresh in the minds of many in the squad.
Kilby also go into the game off of a painful league defeat to Lanarkshire rivals Caledonian Braves on Saturday, and Kennedy is demanding that his side don’t come a cropper again.
He said: “I would expect to see a response to last Saturday. The Scottish Cup is always a good competition for the club and, if you can get a wee run in it, financially it can be good, and when the big teams enter it can be exciting.
“We just need to concentrate on getting past Gretna. We went to Tranent in the second round last season and lost heavily so it is important we are fully focused.
“Personally, I have always done well in the competition before I came to East Kilbride. In my years at Darvel, we went really far in the competition both years we were in it.
“With the group of players we have got, we should be hoping to get a few rounds into it, but we need to be respectful to Gretna and get past them first.
“We need to be on it every week now. The dynamics have changed at the club. We are now the favourites to win the league because we won it last season, and with the group of players we’ve got.
“That is something you need to stand up to because players come with a different drive and focus.”
East Kilbride have regularly got the better of Gretna in the past and racked up some big victories against them, notably a 7-0 league win last season and a 9-0 Lowland League Cup win the previous season.
However, Kennedy insists they are much-improved. He added: “Anybody who has paid attention to the league will know that Gretna have vastly improved on their results from last season, so I don’t think it will be as straightforward against them as it was last season. We need to be prepared for that.
“We have built that respect in the league now where teams just sit in against you and try to catch you on the break.
“That is something we need to adapt to and try to break down.”
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