East Kilbride boss Chris Aitken admits Saturday’s 4-4 draw with Edinburgh University was a calamity and left him up at night.
Jack Stainrod netted an impressive hat-trick and Jamie Stevenson also notched as Kilby looked set for victory. Despite being 3-1 up, Innes Lawson and Patrick Baird’s hat-trick ensured an Edinburgh comeback.
The point leaves East Kilbride seventh and 16 points off leaders Bonnyrigg Rose in a major blow to their faint Lowland League title hopes.
“It was a sleepless night on Saturday, I can safely say that,” Aitken said.
“I think frustration is the right word. We were 3-1 up and cruising, absolutely cruising.
“My boys should be seeing the game out.
“Our man-management wasn’t there on Saturday, which to be fair has been there in the last four weeks. They have been ruthless.
“It wasn’t good enough from us on Saturday. The standards we set for ourselves were not met.
“The past few weeks they have been outstanding for me but they have to accept criticism when it comes.
“We were cruising and we are looking for the experienced ones to see it out, go and win 5-1 or 6-1.
“It was a disaster, calamity after calamity. We then end up at 4-4.
“It’s not good enough from us as a football club or for the standards we set.
“I always tell my guys not to worry about it too much, it’s a game of football at the end of the day.
“When we have won in the last four weeks, we have won quite comfortably.
“When we win convincingly, I don’t get carried away. We should have won this but I won’t get too despondent.”
It’s the eighth time pre-season title favourites have slipped up and they’ve recorded just eight wins from 16 games. Aitken says his players will be worked tirelessly this week as they look to rectify a bad day at the office.
East Kilbride take on Gretna 2008 this week with a view to potentially rising a couple of places in the division.
“We’ll come in this week and the first session will be more of a pre-season one, rather than one for midway through a season,” explained Aitken. “The boys will be worked extremely hard.
“It felt like a defeat so it’s a case of getting them back to where they were for the last three or four weeks.
“There are some big games coming around the corner.”
One positive Aitken did take from Saturday’s match was the performance of Stainrod.
The youngster arrived from America over the summer and netted an impressive treble, following a brace in last week’s Scottish Cup second round win over Stirling University.
The EK boss is gutted that he will not be the talking point after defensive mishaps elsewhere in the Kilby side, but he was thoroughly impressed by the 19-year-old Englishman.
“Jack got his opportunity and he took it,” added Aitken.
“It’s just disappointing as the headlines should have been about him rather than the result for the team.
“He’s come in from America and he’s bided his time.
“He’s still raw, he’s still a young kid with lots to learn. But he scored a few goals and he staked his claim.
“He was one of the only positives I could take from Saturday.”
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