East Kilbride boss Mick Kennedy insists if his side can show the levels they hit for 90 minutes against Queen’s Park last week, Kilby can finally achieve their SPFL dream.

Kilby came within a whisker of sending the Championship outfit out of the SPFL Trust Trophy and reaching their first major final when John Robertson’s strike smacked the post in the 89th minute, with the game tied at 2-2.

But Kennedy’s men capitulated in extra-time as the full-time outfit ran out 6-2 winners.

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But as EK prepare to return to Lowland duty on Saturday at home to Broxburn, sitting two points clear of nearest rivals Caledonian Braves with three games in hand, Kennedy says the experience can stand them in good stead for another crack at promotion via the play-offs – if they defend the league title.

He said: “That’s the third Championship side we’ve played this season [after Airdrie and Ayr who EK knocked out on the way] and we’ve had some big results and performances. It shows the levels this team can get to and it is full of very good players.

“If we can hit those levels in the play-offs then we’ll have a fantastic chance of getting up to the SPFL.

“Last season everyone had us as odds-on favourites against Stranraer but we fell at the last hurdle, so we can’t get complacent. The first priority is to win the league, which isn’t done yet, and that would take us into the play-offs with a lot of belief and confidence.

“One thing about me is I don’t lack belief. We always try to impose ourselves on games and the boys did that for large parts against Queen’s Park. We should have won the game in normal time. We had a shaky start [going 2-0 down] but we controlled large parts of the game and hit the inside of the post in the 89th minute. We were the better team over 90 minutes but it wasn’t to be.”

On Saturday’s clash with Broxburn, Kennedy added: “I don’t think anybody has been surprised by how well they’ve done. They came into the league and made a really good account of themselves.

“They’ve maybe been a bit inconsistent at times, otherwise they would be a bit closer to us at the top end of the league. They are a quality side and have taken points off of all the teams around us this season so it will be difficult.”