ASIDE from a half-time mud wrestling bout with Raymond
Sparkes, it is increasingly difficult to work out what else Jim
Jefferies can do to ignite interest in the Rugby Park side.
Their opponents yesterday were Motherwell, the only other provincial
team to have taken part in the SPL every season since its inception, but
the four goals Jefferies’ young Scottish side recorded were ample reward
for a performance packed with invention, passing and movement.
For all the dire warnings about relegation, and the grim onset of
administration that would await them, Kilmarnock already appear destined
to comfortably survive into their 13th consecutive season in the top
flight. By the end, few of the home fans in the crowd of 5,035 would
have regretted their choice of entertainment.
Staff cuts and now price cuts, but
Kilmarnock were simply a cut above Motherwell as they f
ollowed
a winning performance at Pittodrie with an even more impressive home
display that meshed a robust team ethic with some effervescent
individual performances. Prominent among those was Steven Naismith,
this irrepressible 18-year old striker.
Earlier in the week a protective manager Jim Jefferies took young
Naismith aside and reminded his bundle of talent and energy that despite
a high-octane start to the season, netting in both of Kilmarnock's
previous league matches, he still had a lot to learn in the game and
should keep his feet firmly on the ground.
But Naismith's feet never stopped moving yesterday. He was
responsible for setting up three of Kilmarnock's four goals and was
worth the acclaim from the Kilmarnock support at his eventual
substitution. By then, the three points were already in the bag.
Johnston opened the scoring after 12
minutes when his toe-poke was deflected past Graeme Smith.
Boyd blasted in Killie's second seven minutes later, before David
Clarkson tapped in for the visitors just before the interval.
Gary McDonald cleverly diverted a cross into the net to make it 3-1,
before Boyd grabbed his second on 73 minutes.
The home side settled quickly with Kris Boyd volleying a good chance
wide.
However, the Motherwell players were angry that play had not been
stopped earlier, when William Kinniburgh was left face down in the turf
in the centre circle.
The youngster was soon back in action but diverted a cross from
Steven Naismith that Allan Johnston had flicked goalwards
past his own goalkeeper to give Killie a 12th-minute lead.
The goal was credited to Johnston but would almost certainly have
been saved had not Kinniburgh not intervened.
There was a let-off for Killie three minutes later, when Hay produced
a woefully short pass back which David Clarkson intercepted before it
could reach Alan Combe.
The Scotland Under-21 international took the ball wide of the
goalkeeper but could only find the side-netting.
Kinniburgh was lucky to escape punishment when he pulled Boyd by the
shirt in the box but when skipper Gary Locke found the striker in the
area, the move was stopped by an offside flag.
The flag stayed down in the 19th minute however, when Naismith
cushioned his header to set up Kris Boyd
and he blasted the second goal of the game despite Smith's
efforts to parry.
Killie were then forced onto the back foot when Gordon Greer made a
vital tackle in his own box on Clarkson, after Phil O'Donnell had set
the striker up for a shot.
'Well were back in the game in the 42nd minute when Clarkson
converted a Paterson ball from the left.
Neither side made changes at the break and within two minutes of the
restart Alan McCormack was booked for a late challenge on Naismith.
Gary Hay then fired into the side-netting following a tantalising
cross from Gary McDonald as Killie looked for a third.
However, with just a one-goal lead Killie
were getting edgy and their cause wasn't helped by some poor decisions
by the man in black or his standside assistant Martin Cryans.
They enraged the home support while
Jefferies and No.2 Billy Brown were having kittens in the dug-out. The
two officials weren't on the same wavelength and both had poor
performances.
Killie restored their two-goal advantage in the 61st minute through
Gary McDonald.
The midfielder cleverly diverted a ball into the danger zone from
Naismith past the goalkeeper with a flick off the inside of a boot.
Allan Johnston was enjoying himself and almost everything he tried
came off too, although when he set up James Fowler for a cross the
eventual delivery was just too high for Kris
Boyd.
That was not the case in the 72nd minute however, when Gary Locke
floated a corner on to the striker's head (above)
and with no marker having
picked him up there was no way back for 'Well now.
Substitute Colin Nish made good space for himself in
the 82nd min, in the Well penalty box
only
to shoot into the arms of Smith from some eight yards out!
Motherwell's day was summed up when Scott McDonald fired against a
post with only the goalkeeper to beat in stoppage time.
Kilmarnock triumphed in the majority of the
meetings between these teams last season and it was a similar story
here. They have recovered well from their first-day loss to Hearts and
continue to answer their critics on the field.
Naismith was not presented to the media after the game but others did
the talking for him. Team-mate Allan Johnston, who also had a fine match
in central midfield and opened the scoring, said: "He was brilliant
today. He's got energy, pace, desire and he can score goals. He was
involved in everything."
Well boss Terry
Butcher had no complaints -
'We got what we deserved - absolutely nothing.
Credit to Kilmarnock, they thoroughly deserved the victory."
Jim Jefferies Post Match
Comments.... "I
think the first 25 minutes was as good as I have seen here. We caused
them all sorts of problems with our passing and movement.
It is a great result
against a Motherwell side who had made a good start to the season and
that is now eight goals we have scored in the three games.
And it is not just the result which pleased me - they are a
terrific young team to watch and they showed it today.
People say we are going backwards, but, on the evidence of the
three performances we have played, you wonder what they are on about.
Allan and Steven will get the praise because they were excellent,
as they were last week, but the pick of the bunch for me was the
performance in the middle of the park by Gary Locke. He was
magnificent.It is time Walter Smith was here if they are looking for a
midfield player. He controlled the whole midfield, switched play
brilliantly and won tackles."
05-06
JJ's Comments
