Ex-Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes took his Championship winners north for the Group B conflict with Mark Cowie’s males as each groups received up and operating after the summer time break.
A quick begin from Killie at a revamped Bellslea, filled with each Brochers and away followers, put the guests in a robust place, with a Ross Aitken personal objective and Fraser Murray free-kick the distinction at half-time.
Highland League champions Fraserburgh began their 2022/23 marketing campaign with a 3-1 Premier Sports activities Cup defeat at residence to Premiership Kilmarnock.
Regardless of an early second-half rally from the battling Broch, which culminated in Sean Butcher pulling a objective again, a Kyle Lafferty end moments later restored the Ayrshire outfit’s two-goal cushion – and sealed three League Cup factors.
Fraserburgh had been with out final season’s Highland League participant of the 12 months and golden boot-winner Scott Barbour for his or her opener, in addition to his fellow ahead Paul Campbell, wideman Aidan Combe and centre-back Jamie Beagrie.
Killie’s beginning 11 was sturdy, that includes Northern Eire worldwide Kyle Lafferty, in addition to different skilled Premiership campaigners together with Alan Energy, Rory McKenzie and former Aberdeen centre-half Ash Taylor.
Oli Shaw squandered an early close-range likelihood for the guests, poking the ball straight at Paul Leask, after Bryan Hay failed to go Kyle Lafferty’s flick-on clear.
On seven minutes, the full-time aspect, who had instantly taken management of the sport with their sharp passing and motion, went forward in lucky circumstances – Broch right-back Aitken heading the ball previous his personal goalkeeper as he tried to forestall Shaw attending to a through-ball.
It was 2-0 10 minutes later, with Murray discovering Leask’s backside left nook with a free-kick from 20 yards after Hay had been, considerably softly, adjudged to have taken out Lafferty on the sting of the field.
On 25 minutes, Leask did effectively to forestall the third, scrambling to his again put up to disclaim Killie’s proper winger Danny Armstrong after he’d stretched to get on the tip of Murray’s cross from the left.
The tempo of the sport slowed barely for a interval, however – on 37 minutes – Leask saved the Broch within the sport once more, denying Lafferty on the fringe of the world when the much-travelled ahead discovered himself clear via. Naturally, this cease in opposition to one of many Scottish sport’s nice pantomime villains delighted the house followers.
Fraserburgh began the second interval brightly, and had been clearly intent on getting crosses into aerial specialist Sean Butcher.
That they had a golden likelihood to get a objective again on 53 minutes. Logan Watt broke at pace in midfield earlier than taking part in in Lewis Duncan. The diminutive center man feinted one option to idiot a Killie defender, however his low shot from simply inside the world slid by Zach Hemmings’ left put up.
Paul Younger then tried to chip Hemmings – who was caught in no man’s land close to the 18-yard-line after a penalty-box stramash – however the keeper received his finger-tips to the trouble.
The house aspect had come out to have a go after the break and it made for an end-to-end sport.
