Match Report

Stenhousemuir ran out 4-0 winners over Kilmarnock B at Ochilview in the KDM Evolution Trophy, extending their unbeaten run in the competition to three matches and moving joint top alongside Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The first half saw skipper Gregor Buchanan open the scoring as he headed home a Ross Taylor corner, before substitute Euan O’Reilly doubled the advantage with his second goal in as many games.

The second half followed the same pattern, with Matty Aitken adding a third before Ross Taylor put the Warriors well out of sight.

Manager Gary Naysmith made six changes to the starting XI, with Yan Gromov, Oliver Simpson, Matthew Aitken, Kinlay Bilham, Michael Anderson and debutant Leyton Grant coming in for Darren Jamieson, Archie Graham, Euan O’Reilly, Finn Robson, Dale Carrick and Kelsey Ewen.

Stenny created the first opportunity of the match when Ross Taylor played a neat pass to Kinlay Bilham on the edge of the box, but his first-time strike drifted just wide of the post.

Kilmarnock were next to threaten, as Oliver Simpson threaded a pass through to Samuel Duruh, whose close-range effort was superbly kept out by Yan Gromov with a magnificent point-blank save.

The Warriors came close to breaking the deadlock when a Ross Taylor delivery sparked a scramble inside the Killie box. Ross Meechan managed the final touch, but the ball agonisingly stayed out before the visitors cleared the danger.

The deadlock was finally broken after 20 minutes, when Ross Taylor delivered a pinpoint cross that captain Gregor Buchanan met with a powerful header into the net.

In the 34th minute, Gary Naysmith was forced into an early change as Kinlay Bilham went off with a knock, to be replaced by Euan O’Reilly.

The substitute wasted no time making an impact, and just four minutes later he doubled Stenhousemuir’s lead, latching onto a lofted pass before lifting the ball over Dylan Brown and finishing into the empty net – his second goal in as many games.

Just before the interval, Samuel Duruh tried his luck from distance in an effort to pull one back for Kilmarnock, but his strike was comfortably gathered by Yan Gromov.

Half-Time: Stenhousemuir 2-0 Kilmarnock B

It took just four minutes of the second half for Stenny to add a third, as Ollie Simpson’s beautifully weighted cross found Matty Aitken, who guided his header into the net.

The momentum continued, and on 54 minutes Ross Taylor made it four. The midfielder latched onto a perfectly weighted chipped pass, spun past his marker and slotted into the side netting to put the game well and truly to bed.

Despite the scoreline, Kilmarnock refused to give in. Samuel Duruh came closest when his strike crashed off the crossbar and looked to have crossed the line, but Yan Gromov reacted quickly to gather and deny the visitors.

Kilmarnock substitute Reece Craig lasted only three minutes on the pitch before referee Iain Snedden showed him a straight red card for a reckless challenge.

Euan O’Reilly almost grabbed his second of the afternoon when he chested the ball down and struck on the volley, but he couldn’t quite connect cleanly and Dylan Brown was able to smother the effort.

It could, and perhaps should, have been a fifth for the Warriors when Matthew Aitken played in debutant Zeke Cameron, who picked out Dale Carrick inside the visitors’ box. The striker fired at goal, but Dylan Brown produced a tremendous save to deny Stenny another.

It was a match in which Stenhousemuir might well have added another two or three goals, but the result ensures the Warriors sit joint top of the KDM Evolution Trophy group stage alongside Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Full-Time: Stenhousemuir 4-0 Kilmarnock B

Stenhousemuir: Gromov, Meechan, Simpson, Buchanan, Aitken, Taylor (Cameron 60’), Bilham (O’Reilly 33’), Anderson (Carrick 67’), Whyte, McGil (Graham 67’), Grant (Robson 67’)

Unused Subs: Jamieson

Kilmarnock B: D. Brown, J. Brown (Foster 68’), Gilmour (Craig 60’), Ellis, E. Brown, Barlow (Spence 77’), Davis, Thomson, Duruh, Trialist, Eaglesham (Margiotta 60’)

Unused Subs: Morrison, Feeney, Watson, Simpson, Allan

Bookings: Davis 9’,  Craig 63’ (R), Foster 71’

Attendance: 203

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PREVIEW

Stenhousemuir return to KDM Evolution Trophy action this Saturday as they welcome Kilmarnock B to Ochilview for a 3:00pm kick-off.

The Warriors remain unbeaten in the competition, having secured an opening-day 2-1 win over Rangers B at Ochilview, followed by an impressive 3-1 victory away to Annan Athletic last Tuesday.

Kilmarnock B, meanwhile, arrive on the back of a difficult start to their campaign. Defeats against Edinburgh City and East Fife have left the young Killie side still searching for their first points in the competition’s league phase.

Stenny head into the fixture after a battling 1-1 draw with East Fife in the William Hill League One last Saturday.

The match burst into life in the latter stages when Andrew Munro was dismissed in the 73rd minute for a foul on Dale Carrick just outside the box. From the resulting free-kick, Euan O’Reilly’s strike found the bottom corner to hand Stenhousemuir the lead.

However, Nathan Austin denied the Warriors all three points, rising highest to meet Michael McKenna’s looping delivery from deep to nip the ball beyond Darren Jamieson on the 89th minute.

Manager Gary Naysmith said ahead of Saturday’s game: “We’ve played seven games now in four weeks, so we need to let the players recover.

“We come back in next week and we go again against Kilmarnock B in the cup and try and get another three points. If we can do that, nine points should be enough to qualify, so the sooner we can get through in the cup, the better.”