Kyle Lafferty’s return to East Kilbride Youth Mentors has ended on a sour note after the club crashed out of the South Challenge Cup in a result that will sting for everyone involved.
The former Rangers and Hearts striker had come back to EKYM in a coaching capacity, bringing his experience and profile to the grassroots club. But there will be no cup run to celebrate this time around, after Forth Wanderers sent them packing in what counts as a genuine upset.
Lafferty made his name as one of Scottish football’s most recognisable strikers over the years, turning out for some of the country’s biggest clubs before winding down his playing career. His move into coaching at EKYM was seen as a positive step, giving younger players access to someone who had operated at the highest levels of the Scottish game.
The South Challenge Cup exit will hurt, though. Cup football at this level means everything to the clubs involved, and going out at the hands of Forth Wanderers is not the result anyone connected with EKYM would have been hoping for when the draw was made.
There is no shame in losing to a well-organised side, but the manner of the exit and the surprise nature of the result leaves questions about where EKYM go from here under their current setup.
For Lafferty personally, it is another chapter in what has been an eventful post-playing career. The Northern Ireland international was a fan favourite at several clubs during his time as a player, known for his physical presence and eye for goal. Translating that into a coaching role is never straightforward, and this cup exit is a reminder that results at grassroots level can be just as brutal as anywhere else in the game.
Forth Wanderers, for their part, will be absolutely delighted. Knocking out a side with a former professional of Lafferty’s standing involved is exactly the kind of result that gets talked about for years at a club like theirs.
What happens next for Lafferty and EKYM remains to be seen. The focus will now shift to league duties, where the club will be looking to put this disappointment behind them quickly.