DEADLY Kris Boyd destroyed United with a
five-goal blitz to equal the Premier League record for the most
goals in one match.
But the Killie hitman was robbed of his own
place in history as ref Kevin Toner ruled out an amazing SIXTH strike.
The Scotland Under-21 striker hit the net four times in 29 minutes
before notching the fifth late on.
His stunning display matched the feats of
Dundee United's Paul Sturrock and Rangers strikers Marco Negri and Kenny
Miller but Boyd must have been thinking about the one that got away.
Bungling ref Toner chopped off a perfectly
good goal in the first half and six strikes would have set him apart
from any hitman in Premier League history. Killie boss Jim Jefferies
wouldn't have been worried about that as he watched his side bounce back
in style from two defeats.
Things could have been
a whole lot different though had former Rugby Park favourite,
Jim
McIntyre, showed more composure seconds after Boyd’s opener when he
lashed a better than decent chance high over the bar from 12 yards.
McIntyre’s chance aside it was all Kilmarnock, who were playing some
fabulous football with wide men Invincible and Johnston providing the
visiting defence with real problems and the front two of Boyd and Craig
Dargo with steady supply of ammunition. At times Kilmarnock were playing
with four upfront and as a result the panic, not to mention indecision,
in the Tangerine backline was palpable.
Craig Dargo ought to have opened his account for the season instead of
hurriedly blasting over, when teed up perfectly by
Danny Invincible
following a dashing run by the deceptively nimble footed big Aussie.
Home fans needn’t have worried about missed chances coming back to haunt
them.
Canadian goalie Lars Hirschfield started his
first league game for the Arabs due to the collarbone injury Tony
Bullock picked up last week against Motherwell.
But he had a game to forget and gifted the
home side the lead after seven minutes.
Hirschfield should have dealt with a simple
back pass from Alan Archibald but his woeful clearance fell straight to
Boyd and lashed home from 20 yards. (right)
Jefferies men were in the mood and could
have made it 2-0 moments after the opener.
Danny Invincibile beat the United offside
trap but
Allan Johnston blasted his cut back over.
The same duo combined again moments later
but Johnston fired wastefully over under no pressure.
United were in disarray and it was only a
matter of time before Killie increased their lead.
And Boyd crashed home the second in 16
minutes from Craig Dargo's excellent cross.
Ian McCall's men were stunned but had a
strong case for a penalty after 23 minutes.
Shaun Dillon's tackle on Killie old boy
Andy McLaren in the box was clumsy but ref Toner awarded only a corner.
However, the Tannadice men found a vital
goal five minutes later when Archibald stabbed home Barry Robson's
corner.
Boyd missed a glorious chance for his
hat-trick from Johnston's teasing cross but blasted home the third after
32 minutes.
Former Rangers kid Peter Leven drove at the
United defence and after a perfectly-weighted pass the Killie
goal-machine rifled home.
Just when the striker thought things
couldn't get any better he grabbed a FOURTH.
Archibald took the legs away from
Invincibile for a clear penalty and Boyd buried it with ease.
(right & left).
United's defence was all over the place and
Boyd had the ball in the net again after 39 minutes only for ref Toner
to harshly rule it out for an alleged push.
The big question on everyone's lips at
half-time was if the Killie wonderkid could equal or beat the five-goal
record.
The last Kilmarnock striker to hit four
goals in one match was
Gary McSwegan
- in
April 2003 when they crushed Hibs 6-2.
Raging McCall had to make changes at the
break because United were a shambles. The ineffective duo of Grant
Brebner and McLaren were replaced by Mark Kerr and Jason Scotland and
the Arabs looked more solid.
Boyd was closely marked after being given
the freedom of Rugby Park for the first 45 minutes.
Killie still looked the stronger outfit and
Johnston should have made it 5-1 on the hour mark.
Gordon Greer sent over a great cross for a
volley but the winger took a touch on his chest and failed to get his
shot away.
McCall's men had to throw bodies forward in
a bid to salvage some pride.
Veteran striker Billy Dodds was thrown on
for Mark Wilson with 20 minutes left and grabbed one back after 73
minutes from Stuart Duff's knockdown.
The wee man looked offside but coolly
converted from 12 yards.
United pressed forward fruitlessly, given
the margin against them, and it led to Boyd’s final flourish.
Invincibile once more picked up the ball just inside the opposing half
before speeding clear into the box and, with a choice of arriving
players, he seemed to wait for the big striker before clipping the ball
in for Boyd to stroke home his final goal.
Were you watching Mr Vogts?
Kilmarnock: Combe, Lilley, Dindeleux, Invincibile,
McDonald, (Fowler 71 mins) Johnston,
(Dodds 83 mins)
Boyd, Dargo, (Wales 74 mins)
Greer,
Dillon, Leven,
Subs: Smith, Murray, Dodds, Canning, Naismith
Attendance: 4,711
None.
Match Pics
Post Match Comments
Jim Jefferies......""It
was a fantastic feat by Kris but the best goal of the game was chopped
off. I have seen John Hartson and Chris Sutton
score hatfuls of goals like that at the back post and how that could ever
be classed as a foul, I don't know. But the
referee saw it as a foul and we can't complain. Kris got five, however, I
think he was robbed of six. I knew Kris was
capable of doing that. We've got players capable of creating chances and,
if we do that, then Kris will stick them away.
We were excellent in the first half and we were exacting a little bit of
revenge for last season when they scored four goals before half-time
against us at Tannadice."
Kris Boyd
... "I'm not going to get carried away.
It's only one game and, although I'm pleased to score five goals,
I've got to score on a consistent basis with Kilmarnock before I can
start talking about anything else. It's got to
be my best ever performance in terms of goals.
I just took every chance that came my way, including the one that got
chopped off. So it should probably have been
six rather than five. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the
goal, but the referee saw differently, so I'm not really bothered. I got
five goals anyway. I knew people had scored
five goals before, but I was just interested in a win for Kilmarnock.
We've had a couple of bad results in the last two games, so it
was pleasing to get back on goal-scoring form
with a victory for Kilmarnock.
I have to keep scoring consistently for Kilmarnock before thinking of
anything else"
Danny Invincible....."He was
absolutely phenomenal, That was probably the
best striking performance I have ever seen and I take my hat off to him.
Just about every time he touched the ball, it was a goal.
Kris is one of those players who seems to have
absolutely everything. In the one season I have been here, I have seen
him come on in leaps and bounds and he is able to score from anywhere. I
don't think anything is closed to him. He has got to stay grounded, but
he is young and it is up to him. I think he is
a bit smarter now. He has grown in his
mentality and learned different things from different players. Boydie
comes across a bit of a joker, but he has a great football brain and
picks up things really easily.
At half-time, I said I
would go straight to goal and, although I would have to grit my teeth, I
would lay it off to him. Funnily enough, that was exactly how it
happened. He said thanks afterwards but it was really just one of those
things. The keeper had come straight out to me and Kris was free after
making a great run."
Ian McCall...
"I didn't even know until after the game that Boyd
had scored all five goals, that's how stunned I was.
I don't want to take anything away from him, he's a good player,
but he didn't have to work for any of the goals.
They were ridiculous goals we conceded with individual errors
that you don't often see at this level and it was embarrassing.
We can't keep defending like that in this league. The game was
finished at half-time and we were well beaten."
