SPFL

The Spartans concluded their Premier Sports Cup campaign with a 4–0 defeat to William Hill Premiership side Falkirk earlier today. The Edinburgh-based side went into half-time trailing by just one goal, but three second-half strikes from the full-time Bairns saw the score line widen after a promising opening 45 minutes. Dylan Tait opened the scoring in the first half before the Spartans tested Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain on several occasions. However, a second-half double from Calvin Miller and a goal from Scott Arfield secured a comfortable win for the hosts. Despite the two sides being separated by the full length of the SPFL pyramid, Spartans boss Douglas Samuel, now the longest-serving manager in the SPFL, having been at the helm since 2012, felt his side competed well. Speaking post-match, the former Edinburgh University boss said he was “proud” of his players and praised their “effort and performance,” although he admitted the second-half display could have been better. Spartans earned promotion into the SPFL pyramid in 2023 after defeating Albion Rovers in the play-offs as Lowland League champions. They begin their League Two campaign next week away to last season’s Lowland League winners, East Kilbride, marking their official debut in the senior league setup. Despite East Kilbride also being newly promoted, Samuel has already identified Mick Kennedy’s side as the ones to beat this season. He said: “They are the favourites for League Two, so I expect it to be a hard game. In that sense, today was great preparation for us” “Will they be able to press and get after us with the same intensity as full-time Falkirk players? “We’ll find out.” Kennedy, the former Darvel boss who famously defeated Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup, has been open about his ambition to take East Kilbride as high as the Championship within the next few years, and his side have already shown flashes of their quality. Earlier this month, they defeated Championship side Raith Rovers 4–2 in their own Premier Sports Cup group. However, they also suffered defeats to St Johnstone and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the latter a 6–2 loss on Tuesday, suggesting there’s still work to be done. East Kilbride have also endured a disrupted pre-season in terms of squad building. Summer signings Josh O’Connor, son of former Hibs striker Garry, and Sena Niang both left the club just weeks after signing, in a bizarre situation. They’ve also been hit hard by injuries. New signing Ouzy See is out for the entire season after picking up an injury against Raith Rovers. Cami Elliott remains sidelined with an Achilles issue that kept him out over the summer. Defenders Jamie Hamilton and Jordan McGregor are out, while midfielder Joao Balde is racing against time to be fit for the League Two opener. While the Spartans’ heavy defeat to Falkirk exposed the challenges of stepping up against full-time professional opposition, there were encouraging signs in their competitive spirit and early-season preparations. With the League Two campaign kicking off next week against a strong East Kilbride side, Douglas Samuel’s squad will be eager to build on their pre-season efforts and make their own push at the top of the table. The coming weeks will be crucial in setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season in the SPFL’s fourth tier.

East Kilbride became the fifth team to be promoted from the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland Football League to the William Hill SPFL last season, after defeating Bonnyrigg Rose in a playoff final. Former Darvel manager Mick Kennedy, who famously oversaw a Scottish Cup upset against Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen a few years ago, led his side to promotion after a standout season in the fifth tier. However, concerns have been raised about the high turnover of the playing squad during the club’s title-winning campaign. Since Kennedy, who also once guided amateur side Colville Park to the Scottish Amateur Cup, took charge of ‘Kilby’ in 2023, the club has used a remarkable number of first-team players, 54 in 2023/24 and 38 so far in 2024/25, with 11 new signings this summer alone. Yet two of those summer recruits have already departed K-Park in what has been an unusual saga. First, Josh O’Connor, the 21-year-old son of former Hibernian and Scotland striker Garry, left Northern Irish side Crusaders at the end of last season and was announced as an EK signing on June 25. He featured in a friendly soon after, but just weeks later, on July 10, was unveiled by League Two rivals Elgin City. One such case could be written off as an odd anomaly. However, fellow new signing Mouhamed “Sena” Niang, Dumbarton’s Player of the Year last season, has also left, despite only joining earlier this summer. The Senegalese midfielder was announced as an East Kilbride player, also on June 25, and appeared on the bench twice before suddenly moving to another League Two side, Clyde, on July 18. Kennedy’s side also signed Ian McShane and Scott Ferguson from Gartcairn in the final months of last season, only for both to leave before making a single appearance in their debut League Two campaign. With rumours of a fractured relationship between players and staff, and such a high rate of player turnover. Could be the first sign of trouble at a club widely expected to challenge for another promotion? During their Lowland League campaigns, the club took full advantage of the less-restricted non-league transfer windows. But following promotion, East Kilbride must now operate within the standard summer and January windows. They can no longer make quick changes after a couple of poor results. The question now is whether Kennedy and his team can adapt to the realities of league football, or if we are seeing the early signs of teething problems for the SPFL’s newest members.