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Alan Power article


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An article on ginger Duracell bunny Alan Power

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/appreciate-power-unsung-hero-kilmarnock-15740062

 

As debuts go, it could hardly have been more inauspicious.

Alan Power made his bow for Kilmarnock at Somerset Park, in a League Cup Ayrshire derby against bitter rivals Ayr United. Despite the Honest Men’s status as a perennial lower league outfit, Killie hadn’t won on their patch since 1993.

A big travelling support made its way up the A77 with the expectation that run would finally come to an end, but Andy Geggan’s header just before the break went without reply, and on a dreich Ayrshire night it was Ian McCall’s side who won the county bragging rights.

Lee McCulloch had given debuts to a number of his new signings, with midfielder Alan Power among their number.

A former Ireland Under-21 international, Power had been captain of Lincoln City before making the move north of the border but looked hopelessly out of his depth in the swirling rain at Somerset Park.

Looking noticeably unfit - “Christ, he’s got a bigger a*se than Boydie!” was one observation - the midfielder was completely overrun, with his one meaningful contribution coming as he blasted over the bar having got on the end of a corner.

 

Ask any Killie fan now though and Power will be spoken of in the kind of reverential tone which is usually reserved solely for the man they call Sir Steve Clarke. Indeed, some have even suggested that Grimes’ recent single ‘We Appreciate Power’ was penned for the 31-year-old.

Power left Lincoln City a hugely popular figure, having helped the Imps to climb back into league football after their relegation to the National League in 2011.

His committed displays in the centre of the park represented one of the few bright lights for fans to enjoy, as the Imps lurched from one disappointment to another.

Only with the arrival of the Cowley brothers, Danny and Nicky, did things start to turn around, and in the early days it seemed fanciful to imagine that Power would be a part of that.

The midfielder wasn’t part of the new management’s plans, losing his place in the team before also losing the captaincy to Luke Waterfall - perhaps Lincoln only give the armband to players with truly excellent names.

“It's been a mental challenge, one I haven't had in a while, but hopefully I've come through the other side,” Power admitted in October 2016.

“It's been very tough. I've been used to playing, so when you're not playing it's easy to fall away if you don't go about your business in the right way.

“But I've trained hard, kept my head up and, to be fair, the lads have been doing well. I'll never change, I was never going to hold grudges or go about things in the wrong way.

“I could have been bitter and thrown my toys out of the pram, but I'm delighted to see the club doing well.”

With typical hard work and dedication, Power set about proving that he deserved a place in the team.

Given his first start against Boreham Wood on October 25, he made five interceptions and completed 83 per cent of his passes as Lincoln secured a 2-0 win. Power kept his place for the trip to Chester City, and forced the management into reconsidering his position at the club.

“Every time I've left him out, he's just trained harder,” Danny Cowley explained.

Having been left out for the first round of the FA Cup against Altrincham, Power played 90 minutes in each of the five subsequent rounds as Lincoln went all the way to the quarter-finals. It was he who equalised from the penalty spot against Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2017, and a typically all-action display helped the Imps upset Premier League Burnley at Turf Moor.

The fairytale was eventually snuffed out by Arsenal, with Power and his teammates overwhelmed in a 5-0 loss at the Emirates. That cup run was always just a bonus though, with the real objective a return to league football.

Ten days after the cup shock at Burnley, Power once again scored from the penalty spot and while he wasn’t the first name on the team sheet, the Irishman played regularly until the end of the season.

He wasn’t on the pitch when Lincoln beat Macclesfield to finally confirm their return to League 2, but his status as a fan favourite was secured. Having achieved his objective of taking the Imps back to league football, Power opted to continue his career in Scotland.

“Sometimes it’s nice to leave on a high and we totally respect that,” Cowley said.

“We’re really appreciative of all that Alan has done for the club and we wish nothing but the best for the future.”

As he trudged off the pitch after 73 unimpressive minutes in the ramshackle surroundings of Somerset Park, Power must have been questioning the wisdom of that decision.

The furious travelling supporters let their team know exactly what they thought of the performance, and many picked out Power as the worst of a bad bunch. His first Premiership start for the club did nothing to change any minds.

After eight minutes as a substitute against St Johnstone, Power was thrown in against Brendan Rodgers’ rampant Celtic side at Parkhead. He made only 25 passes all night, and he once again looked off the pace as he failed to close down Kieran Tierney when he smashed in the fourth from long range.

Power wasn’t seen again for two months, and most assumed he’d join the likes of Billy Berntsson, Willie Aubameyang and Eric Joly in the lengthy list of Killie curios.

His destiny would change though, with a new man in the dugout.

The turnaround wrought by Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock has been astounding, and in many ways Power is the epitome of that.

It was academy manager Paul McDonald who brought Power back into the team for a 2-0 win at Partick Thistle, but the new manager was watching on from the stands and made the midfielder a key component of his side.

Clarke achieved draws at Ibrox and then Celtic Park in his first two matches in charge, and Power was a player transformed.

 

Against the Hoops he made an incredible 11 interceptions, not to mention blocking two shots, in what was a masterful defensive display from the visitors. Forming an instant understanding with Gary Dicker, who had returned from a long-term injury, Power began to show the work and commitment which had made him such a hit with Lincoln City.

Killie put together a superb run to shoot up the table, securing a top six place and only having their faint European hopes finally dashed with a defeat to Hibs at Easter Road in late April.

Power was named Player of the Season by fans, and is running away with the award again this year, his 44 points in the Kilmarnock FC Supporters Association polls putting him well ahead of Chris Burke on 28.

The midfielder has been ever-present so far this season, and even got a rare goal - a screamer against St Mirren.

With Dicker sitting at the base of midfield as an anchor, Power covers a seemingly inhuman amount of ground, snapping into tackles and averaging 4.34 interceptions per game. That’s less than the other half of the Power-Dicker combo, but his all-action style is crucial to Clarke’s strategy.

 

Jordan Jones is flashier, Eamonn Brophy scores the goals and Stephen O’Donnell’s rampaging runs get fans off their seats, but it’s Power who brings the passion and drive that supporters want to see.

At times this season the Irishman has given the impression of being in about three places at once, putting out fires in defence while simultaneously driving his team toward the opposition goal. To see the super-charged midfielder thundering around the pitch is nominative determinism in action, with Power representing a kind of ginger Duracell bunny at the heart of the Killie midfield.

As Kanye West didn’t quite say back in 2010, no one man can stop Alan Power. That a host of Premiership teams have found Kilmarnock similarly impossible to halt over the past 18 months is in no small part down to the former Imp.

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Alan Power epitomises our full club. His career started off poorly with us and as he rose in form and popularity he has grown into one of our most important players. He presses players better than I have ever seen. His touch and control in small tight spaces is excellent and his tackling is phenomenal. Possibly one of my favourite ever Killie players. He is also a great guy. 

 

Edited by Souleycouley93
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