PORT Glasgow slumped to a disappointing defeat at East Kilbride on Saturday.

The win for the New Town club was only their second victory of the season, and sees the Port drop to eighth place in the league table.

On a very bumpy Show Park pitch, they got off to a bad start, losing the opening goal after just four minutes.

Frankie McKay was dispossessed on the half-way line following a throw-in, and East Kilbride surged forward, with a striker curling the ball past keeper Chris McEleny and into the top corner of the net.

Thereafter, though, the Port dominated much of the first half and created a number of chances, with keeper McEleny’s main involvement a fine double save on 25 minutes.

At the other end, Scott Nugent headed wide from eight yards out with a free header after a corner kick, and the striker also had an effort cleared off the line.

McKay was then clean through on goal but the home keeper blocked his shot, and it seemed the Port’s pressure would eventually pay off.

But a 60 second spell just before half-time was to prove fatal for their chances.

On 44 minutes, Alan Jamieson lobbed the ball over the keeper and it appeared to be heading towards the net.

Nugent followed in but then realised, too late, that the ball may not in fact be entering the goal — and the striker’s delayed effort hit the outside of the post and went wide.

It was a bizarre incident and the Port were made to pay immediately, as from the resultant goal-kick, East Kilbride moved the ball to the half-way line, where they won a free-kick and sent a high ball into the box, where a home attacker headed in to make it 2-0 at the interval.

And with only 10 minutes of the second half played, East Kilbride virtually wrapped things up when their centre-forward scored from close range.

With a number of regular players absent, it was a makeshift Port line up, and with the match now virtually dead, manager Craig Brown threw on all three subs within the next few minutes, with two of them being young trialists Ryan McCorkindale and Kieran Tolan, adding to teenager Ronnie Wilson, who started the match.

But the Port’s bad luck in this game got even worse, when within two minutes of the last subs being made, Craig Casement, who had only just come on seven minutes previously, had to go off with a head injury, leaving them to play out the last half hour with just 10 men as the game petered out.

Manager Brown said: “Although we didn’t play all that well, we did have a number of chances in the first half, but never took them. We were certainly affected by the number of players we had missing, but I wouldn’t begrudge East Kilbride their win.’’ PORT GLASGOW: McEleny, McClement (Casement 55), Coyle, Wilson, Paterson, Jamieson, Grana, D. McKay, F. McKay (McCorkindale 60), Nugent (Tolan 60), Sharp. Sub not used: McClure.

l Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and WJ.