Kilmarnock 2 St Johnstone 1
The rain poured down and the conditions were slippy, but that didn't excuse the lack of quality on show during an anaemic first half. It was as well that the second half was an improvement. Kilmarnock played a 4-4-2 against Saint Johnstone's 4-5-1, but slowness of build-up and lack of width meant that Killie didn't trouble Alan Main in the visitor's goal during the first 45 minutes. We also sat too far off, and gave the visitors plenty of time to control and dominate in mid-field, and without creating much in the way of good scoring chances, it was St Johnstone who were the better side.
In fact Killie had only one decent move before half time, with a swinging attack involving Sammon, Taouil and Fowler, before the final cross was taken off Sammon's head. Apart from that, Saints had the better of things, controlling the mid-field and looking more dangerous, especially down right hand side.
The second half was something completely different. It appeared that Mr Jefferies had had a stern word during the break, (although he later said he hadn't), because Kilmarnock had a lot more fire and steel about them now. Within five minutes of the restart Killie reaped the reward of the increased effort. Garry Hay slung in a long cross from the left, Kevin Kyle beat Alan Main to it, and nodded it over the keeper and into the net.
Five minutes later, he almost did it again, and again Hay was the provider. A slightly longer cross from the full back found Kyle at the far side of the six yard box, but the big man's header came back off the post. That must be five or six games in a row that the woodwork has denied us, although Kyle should have scored. He wasn't to be denied though, because in 63 minutes, he got his second. Alan Main came racing out of his box to clear, but Connor Sammon, whose pace bothered Saint Johnstone all afternoon, charged the ball down. It broke to Bryson, who found Kyle with a cute inside header. Kyle, although the ball was swerving and twisting, saw that Main was still out of his goal, and with a controlled first-time volley from 35 yards, found the empty net. It was a clever and skilful piece of work from a quality striker.
Connor Sammon also tried to get in on the goal scoring act, but he was firstly caught as he bore down on goal, and then had a net bound shot blocked away. With six minutes left, Jefferies sent on Invincibile and Fernandez for Sammon and Taouil, the Australian for his heading ability if Saint Johnstone started hitting high balls, and the Spaniard to get the ball down and hang on to it. In the 91st minute Saints got a consolation when Grainger hit in a wicked, dipping, swerving corner, and when Danny Invincibile didn't get to it at the near post, Frazer Wright found himself facing his own goal when he got it plumb on the forehead.
He joked later that Kyle wanted to claim it for his hat-trick. Those are the kind of jokes you can make when you win.
Kilmarnock: Brown, Hay, Fowler, Wright, Bryson, Taouil (Invincibile), Skelton, Old, Kyle, Sammon (Fernandez), Hamill
St Johnstone: Main, McKay, Grainger, Morris, Anderson, Gartland, Miller, Davidson (Reynolds), Hardie (Sheerin), Swankie (Deuchar), Samuel
Referee: Alan Muir
