McBookie West Premiership

CUMNOCK 0

KILBIRNIE LADESIDE 7

CUMNOCK’s promising start to the League campaign came to a shuddering halt in a match everyone at the club will want to forget. And quickly.

With six key players missing Cumnock were nowhere near full strength but don’t take anything away from the Blasties. They ran riot in a dreadful second half for the hosts.

The game kicked off in near monsoon conditions and both teams struggled with the conditions early on. Cumnock had an early let off when Rhuaridh McIntyre stumbled on the ball and let in Finlay whose effort was well saved by Ally Semple. Shortly afterwards Kilbirnie took the lead. Gavin Mitchell waltzed past three Cumnock players and shot into Ally Semple’s bottom right corner.

Cumnock made an early change taking off Chris Hunter and replacing him with striker Jordan Banks. This looked tactical as the shape of the Cumnock side changed also. On the half hour Kilbirnie doubled their lead. A dangerous inswinging free-kick evaded the static home defence and Semple could only parry to Chris Craig, who bundled home from close range. Cumnock’s only effort on target was a solitary Jordan Banks shot.

In 48 minutes the game was effectively over, Connor McVey firing past the helpless Semple after some lacklustre defending. Hughes then made it four for the visitors in 55 minutes. Jon Scullion got on the scoresheet for Kilbirnie as things went from bad to worse for Cumnock.

Cumnock’s heads were visibly down and the young team looked shell-shocked. The hosts made a few goalscoring chances. Steven Crawford heading over from close range and Chris Campbell shot straight at Hughes. Kilbirnie substitute David Waite made it six in 90 minutes and Scullion nabbed his second in injury-time to compound Cumnock’s misery.

CUMNOCK JUNIORS: Semple; Murray, McIntyre, Crawford, Ferry, Baird, Ramage, Hunter, Miller, Campbell, Conn. Subs: Banks, Kemoe, Duncan, Burns, McMurdo (gk).