Black Pulls
Killie Out of the Relegation Zone
Kilmarnock 1 Rangers 0
(Scot Premier Division, Match 43,
Rugby Park, May 7th 1994)
Prior
to the start of the season it was announced that the Premier League would
be reduced from 12 to 10 teams, resulting in relegation for the bottom 3
clubs. Survival
was not going to be easy !! .During the season there was much and back and
forth about the planning permission for Killie's new proposed
stadium. After several plans & options fell through, the board decided
that the best plan was to upgrade Killie's existing facility.... Rugby
Park. To commit to such as expensive task, with their Premier League
status in question, was one of Kilmarnock F C's boldest decisions!!
Relegation now could mean the possible extinction of the club !!
With 4 matches remaining Killie had a great 3-1 win at Dundee Utd which
was followed by an unlucky loss 1-0 at Motherwell, leaving Killie in the
3rd bottom spot, 1 point behind 3 teams.
Killie were set to play Rangers at home and Hibernian away to finish the
season. Rangers had help put Killie in such a perilous
position by exhausting them over a two match
Scottish Cup Semi-Final, that with a little luck, could/should have put
Killie in the Final for the first time since 1957.
The last match at the "Old" Rugby Park duly arrived on May 7th 1994, with
the bulldozers waiting outside the ground, Killie pulled off a shock
result against the Champions with a 1-0 win, thanks to a long range effort
Killie overcame their early nerves to have the best of the first half, but
only a Burns header well held by keeper Scott, had troubled Champions
Rangers. After 74 mins Stark sent a through ball to Millen, who shot
inches wide for Killie.
In the 79 min
Tom Black
struck a firm low free-kick through a ruck of players just inside the
right hand post, for the game's only goal!
Kilmarnock: Geddes,
McPherson, Black, Reilly, Stark, Burns, Montgomerie, Millen, Williamson, McCluskey, McSkimming
