FRIDAY night football may have a glamorous ring to it but this was a fairly routine evening for Kilmarnock as they booked their place in the quarter-final of the SPFL Trust Trophy.
There were enough thrills to keep the Ayrshire crowd content on an evening when four goals were offered as Killie duly saw off a fairly spirited Queen’s Park side who had looked to cause a few problems of their own.
Inevitably, Tommy Wright’s side had coped with the challenge presented but there were sufficient moments of interest to consider that the League One side will draw confidence from the manner in which they competed at times against a team only recently departed from the top flight.
"I was pleased with the attitude they showed after Queen's Park had equalised,” said Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright. “Sometimes in a situation like that it is easy to feel sorry for yourselves but we didn't and that was satisfying.
"It was three goals and three different scorers and overall I am pleased with that although I think we could maybe have had a few more. I think Queen's Park might say the same as they had a few chances and I thought our goalkeeper had a good game.
"I am pleased for Callum [Hendry] too. We didn't think we were going to be able to get him. I know him well, I know what he can do and although he needs a bit of tough love at times we know that he is a good finisher. That's two already for him and that will do him a world of good."
Kilmarnock had looked to set an early tone for the evening with veteran winger Chris Burke causing problems from the visitors. It was Burke’s cross that almost lead to an early opener when Hendry got his head on the end of it only to see it parried by Queen’s Park keeper Calum Ferrie. The rebound fell kindly to Rory McKenzie but he whipped his effort over the bar.
Not to be cowed by the start to the game, Queen’s Park were keen to venture forward themselves with Louis Longridge denied a goal by the crossbar.
It was Oli Shaw, however, who was first to draw blood when h opened Kilmarnock’s account shortly after.
Twice Ferrie had palmed away a shot but at the third attempt the hosts took the lead with Shaw burying his effort well beyond the keeper for his first goal at Rugby Park.
Killie came close to adding to their scoreline as the game went on with Rory McKenzie slicing an effort just wide before the interval.
The Rugby Park side were made to pay for their profligacy on the other side of the interval when the visitors drew level from the spot.
A foul on Grant Gillespie from Burke gave the visitors a spot-kick which Gillespie converted with a confident effort that left Sam Walker with little chance.
Killie responded almost immediately, however, with Euan Murray restoring their lead when he bulleted a header into the net from Hendry’s free-kick to mark his first goal for the club.
Hendry came close to adding a third when he lifted an effort over the bar from distance as Kilmarnock looked to turn the screw on the League One side.
The pick of the goals came via Hendry when his right-foot volley from Burke’s delivery into the box gave Killie their third of the evening.
Still, it did not deter Queen’s Park who almost pulled a goal back with Longridge again the creator.
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