East Kilbride v Hamilton Accies: Kilby boss says facing SPFL Trust Trophy holders is 'nothing too daunting'

Mick Kennedy says his in-form East Kilbride side should believe they can upset Hamilton Accies in the SPFL Trust Trophy – and send the holders crashing out on derby day.

The South Lanarkshire sides clash in a sold-out fourth round tie at K-Park this afternoon and Kennedy reckons despite two tiers separating them in the football pyramid, Lowland League Kilby have the players to stun the League One joint-leaders.

John Rankin’s Accies lifted the trophy last season and, like EK, have made an unbeaten start to their league campaign, so it is an intriguing game in prospect.

Kennedy, who knocked Premiership Aberdeen out of the Scottish Cup last season with Darvel, knows how to pull off a cup scalp and says his side should dare to dream of a place in the quarter-finals.

He said: “I think there are boys in our team who could comfortably play in League One, so we need to take that into the game in terms of confidence and belief.

“I think now we are a few months in, the boys have got a fair understanding of what they are being asked to do in and out of possession.

“Both teams have started their seasons really well so it is something we should look forward to.

“Like us, Hamilton will come into the game with real confidence and belief.

“We will have a plan in place for us to win the game, but we know that will be really difficult.

“Hamilton will be very well-organised, fit and energetic. I know that Darian [MacKinnon, the assistant manager] and John, in their day, were renowned for being proper athletes so they will have a really strong, fit side, with quality throughout it.

“But it is nothing too daunting and nothing we shouldn’t look forward to taking on.”

All tickets have been snapped up for the clash and Kennedy is delighted to