Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

Kilmarnock played decent football here today, but a combination of good Motherwell defending, and a woeful lack of shots on goal, meant that Motherwell's breakaway goal in 36 minutes took all three points back to Lanarkshire. And while Killie are bemoaning the lack of a natural striker, they seem to have forgotten that players all over the pitch are meant to weigh in with goals too.

Before the game there was a moving ceremony when Mrs Frank Beattie unveiled a plaque naming the West Stand, the Frank Beattie Stand. Ex-team mates of Frank were visibly moved during the ceremony, a thoroughly deserved honour for a true Killie great.

The game itself started brightly, and if Killie looked the sharper initially, Motherwell were also knocking the ball about on the ground, and trying to get forward as often as they could. That wasn't that often, as the home side sprayed passes around and continually forced the visitors onto the back foot, but they are still lacking an out and out goal scorer to finish moves off. With Dayton wide on the right and Silva wide left, Killie continually threatened to open Motherwell up, but it just didn't happen.

Silva had a couple of headers go over, and a fizzing shot blocked away, Bryson had a shot blocked on the line, and Pascali and Sissoko got in each others way as they tried to head home a corner. But it was the visitors who scored when Humphries hooked over a ball from the right, Casagolda headed on, and Blackman was completely unmarked at the back post to tap in.

Killie kept pushing forward after the break, with Silva, Bryson and Sammon all trying their luck, but they lacked a cutting edge. Right on full time, Pascali saw a net-bound header clawed out from under the bar by Randolph, and Sissoko headed over from a corner, but Kilmarnock seemed to have lost belief in their ability to score. Danny Invincibile appealed for a penalty for being tripped in the box, but it was waived away by Mr Tumulty.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Fowler (Sammon), Wright, Sissoko, Bryson (Kelly), Hamill, Invincibile, Silva, Gordon, Dayton, Pascali

Motherwell: Randolph, Saunders, Hammell, Reynolds, Hateley, Humphries (Murphy), Jennings, Fitzpatrick, Page (Craigen), Blackman, Casagolda (McHugh)

Referee: Mike Tumulty

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