THIS was a result that would have been as well-received in parts of Dundee as it was in Dingwall. United’s belief that they can escape from relegation may remain somewhat fanciful but as long as the teams above them keep dropping points then that flicker of hope will continue to burn. They remain eight points behind Kilmarnock but have two games in hand, the first of which takes place this evening when Aberdeen at the visitors to Tannadice.
In contrast, there is nothing but growing anxiety at Rugby Park. Their home record has been poor all season and they again harvested nothing from a performance that was mediocre in the first half and only marginally better in the second. A first-half goal from Alex Schalk and a late second from Brian Graham were enough to secure the victory for Ross County, Kilmarnock offering little in riposte. They are not a team with its problems to seek.
There has been no new manager bounce for Lee Clark. On his watch, Kilmarnock have failed to score a goal in three games and taken just one point from nine. They do not play again until a week on Saturday and Clark will have plenty to work on in the intervening period.
“It wasn’t what I envisaged tonight,” he admitted. “I wasn’t too pleased at half-time. I told the players that in no uncertain terms but if you’re conceding and not scoring it’s going to be difficult. It has put us in a tough position but there still needs to be fight. At half-time I didn’t feel we had enough players showing the right fight for the position we are in.”
County needed this win, too. Their form in the league since defeating Celtic to reach the League Cup final had been poor, with three defeats in four matches, but they can now turn their thoughts to two massive cup ties – against United in the William Hill Scottish Cup on Saturday and then the League Cup final against Hibernian – assuaged by the knowledge that they remain safely ensconced in the top half of the table.
“It was a great night and a big three points,” said manager Jim McIntyre. “We’re at the nitty gritty stage of season where every point is a prisoner.”
Any notion that his side might arrive in Ayrshire in a state of disrepair following their heavy loss to United at the weekend was swiftly disabused. Taking advantage of Kilmarnock’s rather lax attitude to the concepts of marking and tackling, the visitors could easily have been four goals to the good by half-time. And Schalk, their fleet-footed Dutch forward, could have bagged the lot.
He would settle for just the one during his hour-long stint on the pitch, the opening goal of the game after just eight minutes. It was not a moment that Jamie MacDonald will look back on with any great fondness just days after his double penalty-saving heroics against Hearts. Schalk made a decent connection with Michael Gardyne’s cross from the left but the header, despite lacking any great power, still crept in at the post.
MacDonald redeemed himself with a fine diving save to thwart Schalk following his turn and shot in the box, before only a terrific sliding challenge from Conrad Balatoni prevented the striker from unleashing another attempt. As County increased the pressure, Schalk had a scrambled effort desperately bashed away for a corner. Kilmarnock were hanging on grimly, perhaps grateful they were somehow still only one behind.
They had actually started the brighter and a terrific burst down the line and perfect cross from Josh Magennis deserved better than Greg Kiltie scooping the ball over the crossbar. That, though, would be the sum of their legitimate first-half efforts. The ball did end up in the County net at one point but referee Stephen Finnie’s whistle had long since sounded for an infringement, the cheers swiftly dying in the home fans’ throats.
Kilmarnock were marginally more adventurous during the second half but it rarely led to anything meaningful in the County box. Gary Woods, deputising in goal for the stricken Scott Fox who will now be out for the next eight weeks, could scarcely have imagined such a quiet return to action. He was alert to repel a Kiltie drive early in the second period but beyond that was rarely called upon as the groans from the stands grew ever louder. It could have been worse had substitute Liam Boyce’s header crept inside the post rather than pranging against it, before Graham sealed the victory with a looping header in the final minute.
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