Kilmarnock 4 Clyde 2

Dom Thomas's double got Kilmarnock out of trouble as they kick-started their Betfred Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Clyde.

Killie were looking to bounce back from losing their Group E opener to local rivals Ayr but appeared in all sorts of trouble at Rugby Park when the Bully Wee responded to Rory McKenzie early strike with quick-fire goals from Darren Ramsay and Kevin Nicoll.

But the League Two upstarts were denied a shock win when Thomas netted twice after the break.

McKenzie then completed his own brace as Killie kept their quarter-final hopes alive while Clyde finished a man light after defender Jordan Stewart was sent off.

The hosts thought they had got off to the perfect start when they struck just seven minutes in as McKenzie finished off a clever corner routine.

But two minutes of madness put Kilmarnock in trouble.

The first set-back came just three minutes after the opener when Kirk Broadfoot's slip-up left his team exposed, with Ramsay taking full advantage to lash home the equaliser.

Clyde found themselves ahead 60 seconds later when Darren Miller's brilliant free-kick was headed home by the unmarked Nicoll.

Home boss Lee McCulloch responded by sending on Chris Burke - signed just two hours before kick-off - for the start of the second period.

But it was their summer signing from Motherwell who turned the game

First Thomas equalised with a clever drag back and finish after 53 minutes.

And he put his team in front just before the hour mark when his long-range daisy-cutter skipped past goalkeeper Blair Currie into the bottom left corner.

McKenzie added number four in the 68th minute when a loose ball broke to him in the box.

Clyde's hopes evaporated completely moments later as Stewart received a straight red for lunging in on Adam Frizzell

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