Chris Humphrey has demanded East Kilbride stand up and be counted this weekend as they bid to save their promotion dreams.
Kilby trail Cove Rangers in the SPFL playoff semi-finals after a 2-1 defeat at K-Park, leaving them with an uphill battle at Balmoral Stadium in Saturday’s return leg.
The Lowland League champions fell 2-0 down early on after a poor first half performance.
But Jamie Longworth’s stoppage time strike has handed them a massive lifeline and Humphrey has issued a rallying cry ahead of the must-win clash.
The Kilby winger said: “It’s time for me and the lads to stand up and be counted.
“We need to demand a performance from ourselves.
“Jamma’s goal is massive and if we can start the game like we finished the first leg we’ll have a real chance.
“It’s now about how many of the lads want it.
“East Kilbride have never been promoted before, but this is a massive chance for us to go up.
“If we put in a performance like we are truly capable of then I really believe we will win the game.
“I said when we got the trophy the other week that winning the league means nothing if we don’t get promoted.
“The playoffs are the real deal, so this is all that matters now.”
Kilby were caught cold by the Highland League champions and fell behind after just three minutes when Harry Milne headed home from a corner and 10 minutes before the break Scott Ross scored from an identical situation.
But away goals don’t count in the playoffs, so Kilby’s challenge isn’t as daunting.
Stuart Malcolm, the Kilby manager, admitted it was “as poor as we’ve been all season” and ex-Hibs and Motherwell ace Humphrey echoed that statement.
He added: “The plus side of Saturday is we can only play better. I don’t think we could be any worse.
“In my opinion we underestimated Cove.
“Everything they did, they did better than us. Closing down, pressing high up the pitch.
“We let in a couple of set plays too easily.
“We need to play our game like we have all season, like counter attacking at pace and passing the ball about well.
“I saw none of that on Saturday, so we have to be much better.”
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Humphrey will leave EK at the end of the season to take up the manager’s job at Lowland League Gretna.
News broke on Saturday not long after Kilby’s defeat, raising a few eyebrows with EK still in the throes of their season.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon can give me management pointers insists Chris Humphrey
Humphrey explained: “It was meant to be announced at the end of the season, but the fact Gretna lost 7-0 at the weekend and the chairman was getting a lot of abuse from the fans after the game, we agreed to announce it now.
“I okayed it with the owners at EK.
“But this doesn’t change anything for me. I’ve still got a massive job to do at East Kilbride and that’s all I’m focusing on right now.”
“I’m a professional and I always will be, so I’ll be trying my hardest to help East Kilbride get promoted.
“That’s what I came to the club to do.”
