Latest news with #PremierSportsLeagueCup
Daily Record
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
East Kilbride boss on major injury blows as new signing could miss entire season
Mick Kennedy's preparations for the League Two campaign have been hampered by injuries East Kilbride have been hit with some major injury blows ahead of next weekend's big League Two kick-off against Spartans. The newly-promoted SPFL side will be without summer signing Ouzy See after a knee injury in last week's Premier Sports Cup group stage win at Raith Rovers looks set to rule him out of the season completely, while star striker Cami Elliott is expected to still be sidelined with the Achilles injury that has kept him out over the summer. Defenders Jamie Hamilton and Jordan McGregor are also struggling, while midfielder Joao Balde also faces a race to be fit. These blows come after the bizarre news that new strikers Josh O'Connor and Mouhamed Niang have left the club just weeks after signing, with regular starting slots not guaranteed. They have now joined League Two rivals Elgin City and Clyde, respectively. All of this has lead to boss Mick Kennedy dipping back into the transfer market ahead of welcoming Spartans to K-Park on August 2, with former Celtic striker Lewis Dobbie joining earlier this week. But he still has his sights set on another addition before next weekend. Kennedy - whose side lost 6-2 to Inverness last night in their final Premier Sports League Cup match, said: 'We thought the squad was settled, but we are a wee bit short of where we want to be now due to injuries and some players leaving. 'Ouzy See got a really bad injury against Raith Rovers last Tuesday night and he is waiting for a scan on that. 'That could require an operation and that would finish his season. That is a real concern and his injury looks really serious. 'He has got an issue with his knee and it is an injury he's had previously. 'Cami is already out injured as well with his Achilles so we definitely need to address that area quickly. Cami is so athletic and he does a lot of running, so we wanted to bring someone in too give him more support this season. 'Ouzy was the perfect foil for him and has been great in the games he's played, but it's just sheer bad luck with his injury. 'We have been working on a defender for the last six weeks and we need a few things to fall into place, but it looks like that might happen this week.' On those with a chance of making the opener, Kennedy added: 'Joao is probably a wee bit away but I think he will make the start of the season. 'Jamie Hamilton will make the start of the season, but I don't think Cami will and Jordan McGregor definitely won't. 'We only had 13/14 players against Elgin at the weekend there, so we were very short.'
Press and Journal
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Premier Sports Cup: Reaction and report as Cove Rangers' new striker makes his mark; Brora Rangers end campaign with defeat
Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley hopes summer signing David Eguaibor can make a similar impact to Rumarn Burrell after he netted his first goals for the club. The 21-year-old former Cobh Ramblers striker bagged a brace for the Aberdeen side in their 3-0 Premier Sports League Cup win against Brechin City at Glebe Park, with Mitch Megginson getting the other goal. Burrell scored 24 goals for Cove during the 2023-24 season and joined English League One club Burton Albion last summer. Since then he has gone on to win international caps for Jamaica and is now being linked with a move to Plymouth Argyle. Reflecting on Eguaibor's performance, Hartley said: 'We had him in during January and February through an agent, he's got the same agent as Rumarn Burrell. 'You've got to have contacts in the game and you've got to have a look at people. We liked what we saw and hopefully David can get stronger and better. 'We're in the business of giving people an opportunity and it's up to them to go and take it. 'It would be nice if he could have a similar impact to Burrell. He was outstanding and it looks like he's on the brink of a move to Plymouth for a £1million so you know when you come to Cove you get a good opportunity.' The win against Brechin gives Cove a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the League Cup. They are second in Group A with seven points ahead of their last game against Queen's Park at Lesser Hampden on Saturday. If Cove win at the weekend 10 points will be enough to secure a place in the last-16 as one of the three best group runners up. But they could also progress as group winners if they beat Queen's Park and Falkirk take one point or zero points against Spartans. Hartley added: 'The name of the game is winning, we kept a clean sheet, we're in a good position and we just need to see how it goes on Saturday.' A slick first half display wrapped up the points for Cove. They took the lead in the ninth minute when Layton Bisland's low cross from the right broke for Eguaibor to score from six yards. On 37 minutes Eguaibor doubled his and Cove's tally as he pounced to score from close range after Brechin failed to deal with Ryan Harrington's delivery from the left. The visitors kept pressing with Eguaibor denied by goalkeeper Craig Hepburn and Megginson having an effort cleared off the line. But in the 43rd minute Declan Glass' cross from the left found Megginson, who glanced a header into the bottom right corner. Eguaibor was inches away from his hat-trick midway through the second half when he swept a Harrington delivery from the left against the crossbar. Brechin finish the group with zero points and zero goals ahead of starting the Breedon Highland League season at home to Lossiemouth on Saturday. Boss Ray McKinnon said: 'It was a really tough game for us and we're down to a skeleton squad. 'Some of the boys have had to play all four games because we haven't been able to rotate, but they've given everything.' Brora Rangers ended their Premier Sports Cup campaign winless but can hold their heads high after a battling Bayview display. The Highland League champions, seeking their first goal in the tournament, made a bright start with Max Ewan sending an early effort wide. They went closer on seven minutes when Aidan Wilson's header forced a smart diving save from Matty Rollo in the home goal. The Cattachs were showing no signs of inferiority, and Ewan went close again with an angled drive that just missed the left-hand upright. However, the home side delivered a classic sucker-punch, scoring with their first effort when Nathan Austin cut inside his marker and curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner. The setback failed to dampen Brora's attacking intent and they responded with a 20-yarder from James Wallace that was comfortably saved by Rollo. But East Fife showed their clinical streak for a second time when the veteran Alan Trouten took a pass from Michael McKenna and volleyed home off the underside of the bar. Brora almost grabbed a lifeline before the break but Jordan MacRae's netbound header was well saved by Rollo. The visitors continued to give a good account of themselves on the restart with Alex Cooper seeing a shot rise inches over. However, once more, it was the Fifers who showed a more ruthless streak in front of goal, Trouten firing his second of the night high into the net.
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Motherwell star Stephen O'Donnell embracing new style under Jens Berthel Askou
The Steelmen tackle Morton tonight in a Premier Sports League Cup group decider Motherwell defender Stephen O'Donnell is enjoying the challenge of learning fresh demands under the club's third manager of 2025. After two years of relative stability under Stuart Kettlewell, Motherwell employed their second foreign manager this year when they appointed Jens Berthel Askou to replace German Michael Wimmer. The Dane has a similar attacking philosophy to his predecessor in terms of pressing high up the park but his desire to play the ball out from the back has been more pronounced. Askou faces a big test tonight when Motherwell host Morton in the Premier Sports Cup needing victory to guarantee progression to the second round. On adapting to the new boss, O'Donnell said: "We found it with the old manager when he came in. It was a different kind of style, different ideas. And the gaffer has probably amplified that a wee bit more. "I find it exciting, interesting, you're learning different ideas and different ways in which people think of the game. You're always trying to learn. And I think that's something I'm capable of doing. I'm excited to continue to learn. "I've been enjoying it, trying to work on different things. The most important thing is that we are seeing progression on the pitch and in the style, and hopefully getting the wins that make that progression easier."
Press and Journal
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Ben Mackay reveals the role Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell played in Brora Rangers' rise
Brora Rangers benefactor Ben Mackay has credited Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell with helping to make the Cattachs serial winners. Kettlewell will be back at Dudgeon Park on Saturday for his first competitive game in charge of Killie when they take on the Breedon Highland League champions in the Premier Sports League Cup. The former Ross County and Motherwell manager spent two years with Brora. He joined the Sutherland club as a player in 2014 and helped them go unbeaten in the Highland League during the 2014-15 season, he then took on the role of player-assistant manager under Richard Brittain in 2015-16. Looking back on Kettlewell's time with the Cattachs, Mackay – who has overseen Brora winning 16 trophies in the last 12 seasons – said: 'My lasting memory of Stuart is that he scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Edinburgh City in the pyramid play-offs in 2015. 'In the last few years of his career Stuart had a lot of injuries and he didn't play too much for Brora, but when he did he made a real impact. 'I've got fond memories of Stuart's time with us, he's a really good guy and it's great to see how well he's getting on in football. 'When Stuart and Richard Brittain came to Brora they brought another degree of professionalism to the club and raised the standards. 'If you want to win things every season you need standards and Stuart and Richard helped embed the standards along with the likes of Grant Munro and Ross Tokely and that helped take the club to a different level. 'Those standards remain to this day at the club, so although Stuart wasn't here for a long period he's part of the reason we are where we are.' The clash with Kilmarnock is only the second time Brora will have played top flight opposition in a competitive match at Dudgeon Park in their 146-year history. Mackay is thrilled the Cattachs are competing in the group stage of the League Cup for the third time and with every participating club guaranteed a minimum of £30,000 in prize money it's a lucrative tournament to be involved in. He added: 'Saturday's a landmark day in the club's history it will be only the second time we've played a top flight club at Dudgeon Park in a competitive game. 'Any time you get the chance to play against Premiership opposition it's a day to savour. 'For the players getting the chance to show what they can do against top flight opposition is a great thing and it's good for our supporters to be able to see us going up against a side like Kilmarnock. 'For clubs like ourselves the prize money for being in the League Cup is very good. 'We're involved in the Scottish Cup every year, however, unless you get far enough to play Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs you actually bring in more revenue from playing in this tournament than the Scottish Cup. 'That's something people don't realise so it's great to have qualified for it.' Mackay also revealed Brora have been busy getting Dudgeon Park ready for the new season and have invested in a state of the art sprinkler system. He said: 'We've put in a whole new sprinkler system during the close season which has allowed us to keep the pitch in much better condition during the summer. 'The sprinkler system has been another major investment and we've invested a lot in the pitch during the last three summers. 'We put down a new pitch two years ago, but the drainage wasn't quite right so we had to put in a new drainage system last summer. 'Now that we've sorted the drainage water doesn't stay on the pitch which means the pitch gets too dry so we needed to put in a sprinkler system so we can keep it in good condition.'
Press and Journal
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
EXCLUSIVE: David Wotherspoon reveals call that led to Caley Thistle return
David Wotherspoon has revealed his return to Inverness Caledonian Thistle was effectively sealed with a song after he reached out to manager Scott Kellacher. The experienced midfielder re-signed for the Caley Jags last month having previously netted five goals in 11 appearances for the club during a short stint from October 2023 until January 2024. Wotherspoon left Dunfermline Athletic at the end of last season and having enjoyed his previous spell with Caley Thistle so much, the 35-year-old got in touch with boss Kellacher to see if he could return to the Highland capital. The Canada international's enquiry prompted a jubilant response from Kellacher, who was a coach under Duncan Ferguson during Wotherspoon's time with Inverness in season 2023-24. Wotherspoon said: 'I've got to a stage in my career where I didn't want to be waiting around so I decided I would start making phone calls to see where people were at and if they were interested in me. 'I took it upon myself to phone the manager and he was delighted to hear from me. 'When I said to the manager about wanting to come back he started singing to me on the phone! 'That was how it started and I'm here now and looking forward to the season starting. 'I got on well with him when I was here before. 'When he took on the job last season I messaged him and I looked for the score every week to see how the manager and the club were doing. 'He was keen to get me on board and it's been great to be back. 'The manager and Billy Mckay (player-assistant manager) attracted me back to Inverness, they really wanted me to come back up and that was a big factor. 'I enjoyed my football when I was at Inverness previously and I'm very happy to be here.' Caley Thistle's season begins on Tuesday in the Premier Sports League Cup with a home clash against Elgin City. They will also tackle St Johnstone at the Caledonian Stadium and East Kilbride and Raith Rovers away from home in Group F before their League One campaign begins on August 2. During his career Wotherspoon has won the Scottish Cup twice and the League Cup once with St Johnstone and helped Dundee United win the Championship in 2024 following his first spell with Inverness. One of the reasons he's rejoined Caley Thistle is to try to help the club get promoted back to the Championship. Wotherspoon added: 'I had interest from elsewhere, but Inverness stuck out when I was looking at different options. 'The challenge of getting the club back up to the Championship also attracted me to come back. I think the Championship is where the club should be so that's where we're aiming to get to this season. 'With what the club went through last season I think staying up felt like they'd won something. 'They overcame the obstacles and now the club is in a better place thanks to people behind the scenes and we're looking to kick on now.' One challenging aspect of rejoining Inverness for Wotherspoon is that it means spending time away from his wife Sophie and their three children who are 11, eight and six, who live on the outskirts of Edinburgh. He said: 'My family understand the situation and why I wanted to come here. 'The club's been brilliant and I've managed to have the family up for the past week or so during the holidays. 'They've really enjoyed Inverness and they're going to try to come up as much as they can. 'When time allows the club are going to let me get back down the road to spend time with my family as well. 'They're understanding on that front, it's a family orientated club and everyone is in it together which is a great thing about the club.'
