Derek McInnes said it best in the aftermath of his side’s 1-0 win over Dundee United on Wednesday night. “The performance was everything I wanted,” beamed the Kilmarnock manager as his side leaped from twelfth place into ninth.
“I thought my two strikers were terrific all night – other than scoring a goal, which is a huge part of the job. But in terms of leading the line, they were almost faultless from that side of it. We just need to make sure that we carry more of a threat. That was a 1-0 game tonight and it should've been more for us.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Barring an early penalty for the visitors, which Killie goalkeeper Sam Walker successfully saved, the meeting between the two relegation-threatened sides was pretty much one-way traffic. The hosts had all of the ball at Rugby Park – and took the lead in the first half thanks to an excellent Danny Armstrong strike – but despite the litany of chances that fell their way, they couldn’t capitalise on them.
Killie got away with it on this occasion but their next opponents, Livingston, are unlikely to be so obliging. United struggled to get up the park midweek and when all was said and done, they had hardly laid a glove on the opposition. They could have no complaints about the final result.
Kilmarnock triumphed on the night but it was hard to escape the realisation that these were two sides that find themselves in a similar predicament. Neither have exactly been goal-friendly this term, both have struggled to fashion opportunities from open play and the two teams look decidedly short of options in attack – especially after allowing strikers to depart on deadline day without lining up a replacement.
READ MORE: Kyle Lafferty disciplinary issue resulted in Kilmarnock terminating contract
Both managers provided explanations after the match. Kyle Lafferty had been released following a meeting with the club board and ultimately let go, even though McInnes wanted to retain the striker’s services. The deal to sell Oli Shaw to Barnsley, McInnes added, was finalised last week but only announced on Monday night. According to Liam Fox, Tony Watt was loaned out to St Mirren as he was looking for assurances of greater playing time.
Whatever their reasons, there is an indisputable truth at the heart of it all: both Kilmarnock and United were already struggling for goals, and they have both exited the January window with fewer options in attack as they bid to retain their top-flight statuses.
Kilmarnock can a least take some encouragement from this performance. They out-played their relegation rivals and gained a hugely significant three points but the same issues that have plagued them all season continued unabated. Christian Doidge looked very much like a striker without a goal to his name since he moved to Ayrshire on loan and while the Welshman’s all-round play was impressive, he was guilty of spurning a few decent chances on the night. Kyle Vassell, Killie’s sole striking acquisition in January, also looked lively but his composure deserted him whenever he was presented with a clear-cut opportunity.
At least they’re making chances, though, and the law of averages dictates that they will eventually go in if they continue to play in the same manner. They are also helped by the fact that Armstrong appears to have picked up the team’s goal scoring burden for the time being, and thus possess at least one player who looks capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis.
The same can’t be said of Dundee United, who looked utterly toothless at Rugby Park. Fletcher’s missed penalty was the only opportunity of note for Fox’s men until they took the handbrake off for the final 10 minutes, nor did they look comfortable in defence as they were subjected to lengthy spells of Kilmarnock pressure.
READ MORE: Kilmarnock 1 Dundee United 0: Armstrong moment of magic settles basement battle
Fletcher didn’t have his best game, which will happen, but what will be of greatest concern to supporters of the Tannadice club is that Fox had no other attacking options to turn to. The former Scotland internationalist – the only senior recognised centre-forward in the squad now, following Watt’s departure – often cut an isolated figure but United simply didn’t have an alternative to try and change the game.
McInnes and Fox will be able to sympathise with each other’s plight. Both will be spending the remainder of the campaign trying to ignite a misfiring attack and they will be doing so from a weakened position, compared to the start of the window. Both managers wanted further reinforcements and didn’t get them, and one can imagine that both are staring rather enviously in Ross County’s direction after the Dingwall outfit recently completed moves for Eamonn Brophy and Simon Murray – two players clearly recruited to solve the Staggies’ own problems in front of goal.
Alarm bells should be ringing at Tannadice and at Rugby Park. Fletcher has five league goals to his name this season. The strikers Killie have used this term – Lafferty, Shaw, Vassell, Doidge, Scott Robinson and Innes Cameron – have two between them. Someone, soon, as to step up to the plate for both Dundee United and Kilmarnock – or both sides could find themselves in the Championship next season.
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