KYLE SHARKEY led the way with a four-goal haul as Rhu Amateurs kicked off their competitive season in style on Saturday.

Sharkey’s quadruple left visitors Dal Riata, who are from Lanarkshire, trailing in the dust as the local side surged to the top of their group in the Douglas Smith League Cup.

Manager Maule started with a 4-3-3 formation with the intention of taking the game to the away side – and Rhu began brightly, pressing well and giving Dal Riata no time on the ball.

The hosts took the lead midway through the first half when a clever flick from captain Quinn found Adam Sharkey, who finished well in the far corner.

The home side were playing some good stuff and added a second when good work down the right gave Stillwell the space to cross, and he found Kyle Sharkey at the back post to blast past the keeper and give Rhu a deserved 2-0 lead at half-time.

Rhu started the second half on a similarly positive note, and their efforts to add a third soon paid off when McKay’s long pass picked out Sharkey, who rounded the Dal Riata keeper and rolled it into the empty net.

Number four wasn’t long in coming – and again it was the direct route that paid off for the hosts, when another long through ball saw Sharkey win a race with the visiting keeper before poking the ball into the corner to complete his hat-trick.

A crazy 10 minutes saw both sides reduced to 10 men – Dal Riata’s number eight was first to go after receiving a second yellow for dissent, before Fagan was ordered off for Rhu soon after for a late lunge.

The two red cards threw the home side out of their stride, and Dai Riata rattled in two quick goals to give themselves hope of setting up a grandstand finish.

But Rhu refused to buckle and it was the excellent Kyle Sharkey who sealed the win – and the man-of-the-match accolade – when he tapped in his fourth after Adam Sharkey broke upfield and laid the ball into his path.

Team: Proctor, Maule, McVey, Fagan, McKay, A. Sharkey, Quinn, Scullion, McElroy, K. Sharkey, Burke. Subs: Kane, Bell, Stillwell, Jones, Docherty.

Rhu continued their League Cup group campaign away to Callander Thistle on Wednesday night, after this issue of the Advertiser went to press.

This Saturday, August 18, they play host to Stirling University, with a 2pm kick-off. League action then starts on Wednesday, August 22 away to St Mungo’s.