Kilmarnock, and their lucky mascot,
manager Bobby Williamson, the man who was put in temporary charge in
December, snatched a famous victory in this semi-final replay at Easter
Road.
They were second best in the first
half when United really ought to have put them too far behind to recover,
but after the interval, they were in charge
and
Jim McIntyre gave their fans the perfect climax with a goal four minutes
from the end.
A David Bagan corner, a John Henry
cut-back, and Jim McIntyre (right) netted from four yards.
No one could grudge them their moment.
When you consider that they are still not quite out of the battle to escape
a play-off to stay in the top division, yet have gone eight games without
defeat, they are entitled to some decent reward.
Yet United will rue the chances they
missed in the first half when they played with a verve and skill that had
been absent altogether in the first game.
This time they looked like the team
that had been struggling in September when Tommy McLean took over, but have
since gone on to secure a place in the UEFA Cup.
Had they done themselves justice at
the business end, they would be heading for a fitting finale to their
season, but they discovered, like many before them, including the Old Firm,
that Kilmarnock have a resilience and a self belief that has to be erased
completely or they will be back seeking victory.
That is what they did last night and
the consequence, remembering how depressing the first game turned out, was a
superb fluctuating semi-final which deserved a far bigger audience than the
9000 or so who made it through to Edinburgh.
Now Ayrshire will be out in force for
the final on May 24, Whoever wins the other semi final had better be on
their best and most determined form.
Unlike last week, when Kilmarnock
assumed the initiative immediately, it was the Tayside team who took command
from the off, and within 10 minutes they had played at least as many passes
as they had done in the previous 90.
They also created a couple of chances
which were clearer than anything in the opening spell devised by the teams
first time around.
Both of them came from the left where
Andy McLaren found space enough to time two excellent crosses, the first of
which was just too far for Ray McKinnon to reach and the second was too high
for even Kjell Oloffson.
Then, after a well constructed move
involving a number of players, Mark Perry went closest of all with a shot
that was only a little off target.
It was all United and Neil Duffy could
not believe his touch towards goal from close range was deflected off
team-mate Zetterlund and then cleared. The conveyor belt of United attacks
continued with a fine through ball to Olofsson, who went past the keeper but
when he tried to cut the ball inside, found Kevin McGowne in his path and a
dangerous situation petered out.
Killie, who had scarcely made any
forward moves of note, suddenly caused
bother with a corner kick forced on
the left. When David Bagan's cross came over, Dylan Kerr nodded it on and it
needed a touch by Sieb Dysktra to knock the ball for another corner.
United were soon back in charge,
however, and Lekovic had to get down smartly to a well-struck effort from
Oloffson after McKinnon nodded down a McLaren cross.
With a couple of minutes left of the
first half, United took off Maurice Malpas, who had been suffering from a
calf injury, and replaced him with David
Bowman, but by then Kilmarnock had managed to get involved a little more in
attack and went in at half time with their support a bit more encouraged.
Killie, perhaps after a severe
talking-to from their manager, were much more purposeful after the interval
and twice within a minute came closer than they had done during the first
45.
However, Killie felt they were unlucky
not to go in front when they had the ball in the net, put there by Paul
Wright. He stepped in immediately after a shot by John Henry was parried by
Dykstra but the stand-side linesman hd his flag in the air to signal offside
Straight away United broke downfield
and when Lekovic raced out to clear, he hit the ball against McLaren and was
relieved to see it rebound over his bar. United brought on Robbie Winters in
62 minutes for out-of-touch Jamie Dolan, whose midfield role was taken over
by McKinnon.
Kilmarnock skipper Ray Montgomerie was
booked after he held back Winters who had
already begun to make his presence felt. Then came the dramatic winner from
McIntyre with his goal four minutes from the end
KILMARNOCK - Lekovic,
MacPherson, Kerr, Montgomerie, McGowne, Reilly, Bagan, Henry, Wright,
McIntyre, Holt. Substitutes - Brown, McKee, Prytz.
