5
Mins
With just one defeat in eight matches – admittedly, the 6-3 trouncing by Inverness – Kilmarnock are at last finding the consistency that has eluded them all season. And in Gary Harkins, they have a player growing in stature.
A
mix-up between Dons defender Andrew Considine and
keeper Jason Brown in the fifth minute allowed
Harkins to slide the ball in from close range.
Although the visitors responded positively, Dayton,
on minutes earlier for Paul Heffernan, made sure of
the points in the 65th minute when he beat Brown
from the edge of the box. It was another
disappointing afternoon for Dons boss Craig Brown,
who witnessed a lacklustre display while Kilmarnock
chief Kenny Shiels watched his side move into the
top half of the table without excelling.Killie went
into the game buoyed by
last week's win over Rangers, their first at
Rugby Park against the Light Blues
in over 17 years.
Sandy's Match Pic's are HERE
The
struggling Dons, one point ahead of bottom side
Inverness at kick-off, were less confident and that
showed when Harkins was gifted the opener. A long
punt by Killie defender Jamie Fowler looked aimless
but with the swirling wind it had Dons defender Andy
Considine in trouble as he raced towards his own
penalty area chased by the Rugby Park striker.The
Dons defender's headed pass-back was fumbled by
Brown, allowing Gary Harkins to
collect the loose ball and slide into the net from
close range.It was a needless error which instantly
made it an uphill task for the visitors.The rest of
the half was scrappy to say the least, although the
conditions did make it difficult for either side to
play football.The Dons threatened little. In the
18th minute Vernon looked to be caught off-guard
when Ricky Foster's cross from the left made it past
Killie defender Mo Sissoko and the ball bounced off
his head from six yards and was grasped by
Kilmarnock keeper Cammy Bell.
In the 34th minute Killie midfielder Dean Shiels
sent in a curling shot from 25 yards but Brown
gathered comfortably.Three minutes before the break
Aberdeen right-back McArdle caused Bell some alarm
when he sent a cross from wide on the right just
over the near post but it was more in error than
judgement.Brown started the second half for the Dons
by almost making a mess of a Youl Mawene pass-back,
which did not bode well for Aberdeen, but they had
Killie on the back foot moments later.Midfielder
Fraser Fyvie's curling free-kick missed everyone and
skipped just past Bell's left-hand post seconds
before the Killie keeper had to tip a McArdle drive
from distance over the bar for a corner, but again
the Pittodrie men could not take advantage.
As
the crowd of 4,367 cowered in the stands from the
swirling wind and rain the Dons remained on top
without creating anything clear-cut.Killie boss
Shiels replaced striker Heffernan with Dayton in the
58th minute to try to get his side back into the
game, before Magennis came on for Vernon minutes
later.However, the substitutions worked best for the
home side who went further ahead after Harkins had
sent James Dayton racing clear.
The Killie sub was pursued by Considine and as he
slipped at the edge of the box he still got his low
drive away which was powerful enough to beat
Brown.The visitors looked down and out and minutes
later Foster was booked for a cynical foul on Dayton
as the home supporters cried for a more severe
punishment.The game petered out with not even a late
rally from the Pittodrie men to give succour to
their small but hardy band of fans who suffered yet
another miserable afternoon.