AT last something positive for grieving
Kilmarnock fans to celebrate. Having been cruelly taken apart by
Hibernian in the CIS Insurance Cup final then found themselves on the
wrong end of a mugging by Aberdeen last weekend, this victory, courtesy
of Colin Nish's late header, finally offered Jim Jefferies' side
something of a reprieve from a fortnight of misery.
Well made a bright start and Killie
keeper Graeme Smith made several good saves, especially in the first
quarter.
The visitors did not come out their shell until the final 20
minutes but even then Nish's near-post header from a corner which won the
contest came against the run of play.
Well manager Maurice Malpas kept faith with Celtic-bound striker
Scott McDonald following his double in the win over Dunfermline.
And McDonald had the first sight of goal in the fifth minute
after Jim Paterson's attempted cross sat up for him on the edge of the
box.
The Australian's powerful looping effort was touched past the
post by Smith and the Killie keeper saved well from a 12-yard strike by
Mark Reynolds from the resulting corner.
Smith then came off his line to thwart Krisztian Vadocz as the
Hungary midfielder burst into the box to try to force home Paterson's
cross.
The impressive Vadocz then found Paterson in space on the left
wing and the former Dundee United midfielder's powerful strike was parried
by Smith before being cleared.
Well continued to have the better of the play and Paul Keegan's
shot on the turn bounced just wide after the Irishman had controlled
McDonald's driven cross.
Garry Hay limped off in the 28th minute with Gary Locke coming
on and Peter Leven moving to left wing-back in Killie's 3-4-1-2 system.
Leven cleared Paterson's dangerous cross after the wide man's
trademark stepover momentarily livened up proceedings, but goalmouth
action grew increasingly scarce as the half progressed.
Rocco Quinn, who had been playing just off Kilmarnock's front
pair Gary Wales and Steven Naismith, was replaced by winger Willie Gibson
at the interval.
Motherwell continued to probe but Keegan's first touch let him
down at McDonald's cutback after Martyn Corrigan's ball had sent the
Aussie to the byline.
Kilmarnock stand on the verge of losing their talismanic striker in
the summer. Steven Naismith's fusion of technique and tenacity has
already caught Arsenal's attention and it would be a surprise were he to
still be at Rugby Park come the start of next season.
His ability to compete in physical mismatches remains perhaps his
greatest attribute, as Smith found out following a first-half encounter
that left the Motherwell goalkeeper on the canvas having somehow being
floored by the tiny terrier.
There appeared to be little malice in the collision, although Smith
was clearly still smarting 10 minutes in the second half and had to
hirple off to be replaced by Colin Meldrum.
Well full-back Danny Murphy curled a 25-yard free-kick well
over despite Brian Kerr's run outside the Killie wall being left
unchecked.
The home side were controlling the game but the killer pass was
proving elusive.
Naismith almost found it at the other end with a great through
ball for Wales but Murphy rescued the hosts with a superb last-ditch
challenge.
The Killie keeper then saved brilliantly from McDonald's
side-footed effort after Darren Smith's near-post cross.
Killie came out of their shell and Meldrum caught Gibson's
powerful effort which bounced just in front of him, before Stephen Craigan
blocked the Killie sub's shot after a good run into the box.
Keegan headed over from Kerr's corner and McDonald shot well
wide following a positive run, while Simon Ford could not get enough power
in his header to beat Meldrum from Gibson's free-kick.
Murphy's clever free-kick into the box gave McDonald a chance
but the ball spun wide and he earned himself a booking in his appeals for
a corner.
Locke's shot
was tipped over for an injury-time corner and super-sub
Colin Nish
provided a powerful header which found the top corner of the net, for an fantastic win for the
visitors. This made some justice after Motherwell's
"smash & grab" 2-1 win at Rugby Park in Dec.
