East Kilbride boss Kevin Rutkiewicz was delighted for debutant Danny Connor after he delivered a last-gasp winner to sink Civil Service Strollers that was ‘good enough to win any game’.
The 20-year-old midfielder came on late in the first half for Reagan Thomson and helped Kilby come from 1-0 down to defeat the Edinburgh outfit, as his winner with the last kick of the ball at K-Park added to Ronan Hughes’ 53rd minute equaliser.
It also helped EK earn some revenge on their visitors for a 3-1 defeat at Christie Gilles Park earlier in the season and Rutkiewicz was made up for the EK academy graduate.
He said: “It was literally a last minute winner. It was a great goal and I’m delighted for wee Danny as well, scoring on his debut.
“He played about an hour for us and did very well, with the goal topping it all off for him.
“He’s scored with the last kick of the ball. The quality of the strike is great as well.
“Scoring that late in the game when you are probably a bit tired as well, he’s struck the ball about as well as you can and the ball has just flown in the bottom of the corner.
“It was a goal good enough to win any game.
“It was a special day for Danny and I’m sure he’ll remember that for a wee while yet.
"Civil were difficult to play against, extremely well-organised and they are always a hard team to break down.
“You don’t like going a goal behind to anybody, but Civil are one of those teams that when they get in front they can be very difficult to break down, which they were, so we are delighted to come through that.
“We’ve started a tough week well and hopefully we can continue that.”
Kilby remain seventh in the Lowland League after the result, sitting two points behind sixth place Berwick Rangers – managed by ex-Kilby boss Stuart Malcolm – with two games in hand over the Shielfield Park outfit.
EK travel to Hearts B tonight ahead of a trip to Edinburgh Uni on Saturday and Rutkiewicz added: “"I think Hearts have changed quite a bit. They are a bit younger than earlier in the season because a few boys have gone out on loan, but they are still a full-time team and they are fit.
"They will try and play at a high-tempo and that is the first thing we need to try and match.
"Apart from the early part of the season, we haven't dealt too well with these wee clusters of games so far.
"So I asked the boys to, yes, enjoy their Saturday night but make sure they recover as best they can for Tuesday because it is a big week."
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