KENNY SHIELS hopes his side's Scottish Communities League Cup win can help attract Rangers supporters to come along and support Kilmarnock instead.
Ayrshire is a hotbed of support for the Ibrox side but the Northern Irishman feels a combination of Rangers' financial woes and his own side's success could result in a bumper gate for Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against Motherwell. The Rugby Park side have reduced prices to £15 for adults and £5 for children as they parade the first trophy of the season.
"I feel as if the buzz is still there, still lingering," Shiels said. "We might be able to catch a few other supporters – in relation to what is happening to Rangers at the moment. We're not stupid and we know Ayrshire is a big Rangers territory, so it would be nice to get some young lads to come along and support us. The fact we have reduced the prices for Saturday should have an impact, so I can see us having a good crowd."
Shiels' countryman Neil Lennon has been criticised in some parts in the aftermath of Sunday's final for saying referee Willie Collum "cost" his side the treble when he booked Anthony Stokes for diving rather than award Celtic a late penalty, but the Kilmarnock manager downplayed the incident and said he didn't feel his Celtic counterpart had been "deliberately" disrespectful.
"After a game, you've got an emotional imbalance and if you asked Neil the question on Monday, or asked me the question on Monday, I'm sure the answers would have been different," Shiels said. "The treble was something that was highlighted a lot, and I thank you guys for that, because it certainly worked in our favour.
"Everything was so built up for them to win the first one that there was a lot of disappointment there," Shiels added. "I don't think he was being intentionally disrespectful. I don't think Neil is that sort of person. He wears his heart on his sleeve and there are a lot of things that those sort of people, like myself, say. I don't think it is an important issue.
"What you get in the media in Scotland is ex-Celtic players who feel as if they have a duty to summarise in a way that favours their old team, ex-Rangers players are the same, ex-Dunfermline players, and you get that imbalance in how your performance is summarised. To say we were lucky, I think there was an element of truth in that but I still don't think it is right to say that."
Kilmarnock taking anything against Motherwell could set up Celtic clinching the league title at Ibrox for the first time since 1967, but the Parkhead side's hopes may yet be undermined in Ayrshire. Not only does Shiels worry that his side may rest on their laurels after their weekend's exploits, centre-half Momo Sissoko and the manager's son, Dean, are both suspended, David Silva and Danny Buijs are injured, and Liam Kelly will not play on compassionate grounds after the death of his father. "We are going to struggle to put out a team I feel will give Motherwell a game," Shiels said.
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