YOKER ATHLETIC continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable 4-0 victory away to Cumbernauld United on Saturday.

Braces from Ryan Hynes and Richard Henry sealed all three points for the Whe-Ho, bouncing back after last week’s draw at home to Irvine Victoria.

Athletic gaffer Steven Reilly made four changes from last week’s game against Vics, and in came with Kenny Hadden, Andy Campbell, Andy Rankin and Davie Crerand and for varying reasons out went skipper Gary Bissland, Jamie Carson, Michael Bailey and Gary Arbuckle.

Hynes had the first chance to open the scoring but his effort zipped narrowly wide before Mark Maxwell’s effort flew high over the bar.

Hynes did open the scoring after 25 minutes however after James Ross was pulled down in the home side’s penalty area, the forward slotting coolly home from 12 yards.

Crerand, Hynes and Henry all had chances to extend the lead while Ross saw a header from a Mark Maxwell corner cleared on the line before Hynes double the lead.

He slotted home Maxwell’s raking cross-field pass to take his tally to eight goals in six competitive outings since arriving from Queen’s Park in the summer.  Hadden then saw a free-kick strike the crossbar moments before half-time.

Reilly’s side came out after the restart determined to add to their lead and did so when Maxwell picked out Henry who half-volleyed home into the top corner from 16 yards to make it 3-0 just 10 minutes into the second half.

The Yoker manager then introduced Greg Maitland and Kenny Marshall as he sought to get both players back to full match sharpness.

Henry added his second and Yoker’s fourth when he was picked out by midfield colleague Andy Campbell’s cross to nod home with 69 minutes played.   The game was effectively now over for both sides and fizzled out as a contest long before the referee’s dismissal of home midfielder Tony Stevenson for a second bookable offence in stoppage time.

Yoker now ‘visit’ Holm Park tenants Clydebank this Saturday in what is shaping up to be a huge game at this early stage of the season.  Reilly will know his side face a much sterner test against Budgie McGhie’s early league pacesetters but will feel his side are going to the match in a fine position too. Kick-off at Holm Park is 2pm.

YOKER ATHLETIC: Campbell, Hadden, McGillion, Allan, Ross, Henry, Crerand, Campbell, Hynes (Marshall), Maxwell, (Cairns), Rankin (Maitland). Carson & Kelly.

PRIMEXT LTD Man of the Match: Kerr Allan