Murrayfield Racers demolish Kilmarnock Thunder to progress to Scottish Cup semi-finals

Murrayfield Racers breezed into the semi-final of the Scottish Cup with a 12-1 win over Kilmarnock Thunder at Murrayfield ice rink tonight, including two goals from debutant Tom Ireland, although the modest 18-year-old, younger brother of regular Racers’ starter Michael, felt he still had “work to do” before he would be comfortable playing for the first team on a regular basis.

Racers, who iced without a number of key first-team players including Marty Simpson, German import Alex Christian, and regular net-minders Mark McGill and Craig Douglas, were still too strong for Thunder, who currently sit bottom of the ten-strong Scottish National League without a win this season.

Racers led 5-0 after the first period with five goals from five different scorers, including Ireland who, along with goalkeeper Lewis Melrose, made the step up from the club’s under-20s side.

Rihards Grigors had put Murrayfield 6-0 ahead, before Evan Anderson broke clear for the visitors and fired a low finish beyond Melrose in the 29th minute.

Garry Simpson, Callum Boyd and Joel Gautschi all scored their second goals of the game to give Murrayfield a 9-1 lead before Michael and Ireland both scored within 30 seconds of one another to make it 11-1 with just more than eight minutes to remaining.

Gautschi, with his hat-trick marker, completed the scoring with 57 seconds remaining.

Speaking directly after the game, Ireland said: “It was good.

“Playing me against one of the weaker teams to start with, definitely helped me with my confidence and scoring a

couple of goals was just a bonus.”

Racers are back in action on Hogmanay playing in the Scottish National League against current Scottish cup holders Dundee Comets at Murrayfield, and Ireland continued: “I’d be really happy to keep playing, all they need to do is call and I’ll be there, but based on today it’s a change of pace to what I’m used to and there are things I need to work on, like my speed, keeping my head up, and just being stronger on the puck.”