East Kilbride manager Mick Kennedy admitted that trialist Nathan Lawson significantly enhanced his prospects of securing a contract after the former Motherwell striker scored a second-half brace in a dominant 5-0 victory over Irvine Meadow on Saturday.
Five-Star Display in Dreary Conditions
The League Two champions produced a ruthless attacking performance at K-Park, with new signings Lewis McGrattan, Craig McGuffie, and Malik Zaid all finding the net before Lawson added two goals after coming off the bench. The match was played in dreich conditions, but Kilby showed no signs of slowing down.
Lawson, 18, was released by Motherwell at the end of last season after scoring three goals and providing two assists in 23 appearances on loan at Cowdenbeath in the Lowland League. He has been training with East Kilbride throughout pre-season and showcased his poacher's instincts with two close-range finishes.
Kennedy Impressed by Young Striker
Kennedy revealed he will hold further talks with Lawson this week, acknowledging the teenager's strong performance. "Nathan has been in training with us all week. He left Motherwell, we had a conversation on Thursday about if he is at a level right now to play with us consistently. He wants to be here but we just need to make sure we are making the right decision for him in terms of his development," Kennedy told Lanarkshire Live Sport.
"I don't think he did himself a disservice today. He's had a couple of trials with full-time clubs that haven't worked out, but you can see he is a young kid and he has a lot of attributes - and he probably should have had a hat-trick! We will have another conversation this week and I think he helped his cause today."
Early Pressure Pays Off
East Kilbride dominated from the outset. Craig McGuffie threatened first in the eighth minute, curling an effort that clipped the outside of the post. Darragh O'Connor came close in the 20th minute with a bullet header that deflected off Irvine's Kieran Brophy onto the roof of the net.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Lewis McGrattan controlled the ball inside the box, shifted it to his right, and curled a fine finish into the bottom corner beyond Medda goalkeeper Jo Wilton. Kilby doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when a cross from the left found McGuffie at the back post, who poked the ball home.
Irvine Meadow's best chance came three minutes before halftime when Euan Baird raced through on goal but skewed his strike wide of Shay Kelly's goal.
Second-Half Onslaught
Any hopes of an Irvine comeback were dashed within five minutes of the restart. Cami Elliott won a race with Wilton to a long ball, deflecting it into the path of Malik Zaid, who slotted home for 3-0. Both sides made numerous substitutions, with Irvine Meadow introducing trialist Argyll McCoist, son of Rangers legend and East Kilbride native Ally McCoist.
However, it was East Kilbride's trialist who stole the show. In the 70th minute, Nathan Lawson tucked home from close range after Joao Bale cut the ball back to the six-yard box. Lawson wrapped up the win seven minutes from time, sweeping a low strike into the net from Sean Fagan's delivery. He almost completed a hat-trick but saw a fierce strike tipped over the bar by the Medda goalkeeper.
Kennedy Pleased with Progress
This was only East Kilbride's second pre-season friendly, following a 4-0 win over Kelty Hearts. Kennedy expressed satisfaction with the team's sharpness. "There were really good aspects out there, other bits were a wee bit disjointed but I'm happy overall. It is early in the season and, being a very possession-based side, there is a lot of information for them to take on board for in and out of possession. But we are getting there," he said.
"There is a lot of work that goes into training during the week. I've only been with the boys for three or four weeks now but we are a lot further ahead than I expected us to be. We've still got work to do if we want to have a successful season but we are getting there. You can see the fluidity in the team and the players we have brought in have been very effective."
On McGrattan's debut goal, Kennedy added: "You could see Lewis' quality today. I think nine times out of 10 when he finds himself in that area of the pitch he will score. It was a fantastic finish from him."
Kennedy also confirmed the club still plans to bring in four more players, likely on loan, once the Premiership transfer window settles.
