Jones makes the difference as Well lose trio at back
KILMARNOCK’S fabulous 2018 continued with this victory at Fir Park which maintained Steve Clarke’s 100 per cent record against his Motherwell counterpart, Stephen Robinson.
The Ayrshire club have now won all four meetings between the clubs since he replaced Lee McCulloch 14 months ago and this latest success hoisted them above Aberdeen and back into third place, just one point behind Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.
In truth, the Ayrshire outfit have performed much better and lost this season than they did here during the last 12 months but the 1,860 travelling fans who made their way to Lanarkshire yesterday lustily celebrated the result rather than the display.
Motherwell are in a tailspin at the moment but their cause wasn’t helped here by them losing three central defenders inside the opening 28 minutes. Carl McHugh and Charles Dunne were taken to hospital with concussion following a clash of heads as they both attempted to win a high ball and substitute Christian Mbulu lasted only 12 minutes before suffering a detached retina.
While that disrupted the hosts’ plans, Kilmarnock knocked the ball about confidently, pulling opponents out of position and creating more and better opportunities than Motherwell; indeed, Daniel Bachmann in the visiting goal did not have a save to make all afternoon.
Jordan Jones was the matchwinner with only his second goal of the year, a cross-cum-shot which deceived Mark Gillespie, arcing over his outstretched right hand and underneath his crossbar.
“Jordan will tell you it was a shot but it doesn’t really matter whether it was a shot or a cross – it was a good delivery into the box and it’s gone in the back of the net and got us three points,” said Clarke.
Motherwell striker Curtis Main blotted his copybook – and infuriated his manager – when, in the 70th minute, he first lashed out with his elbow at Stephen O’Donnell and then shoved the full-back to the ground, an act of folly which saw referee Steven McLean produce two yellow cards, one after the other, effectively ending any prospect of a fightback from the home side.
“Losing three boys in the space of five minutes was something I’ve never experienced before but they say you never stop learning in management,” said Robinson.
“I have to give credit to the boys who were on the pitch because they gave me everything today. Of course we’re not happy about losing the game – and we lost it to a mishit cross. Did we create enough? Maybe not but we were brave and we moved the ball about.
“The boys were playing for me and for the staff. Curtis Main let us down completely with his lack of discipline and I’m very cross about that. He could have had a straight red card for his first offence so I’ve absolutely no complaints about the decision.
“Peter Hartley’s currently out with a calf problem and I’ve no idea whether he’ll be able to make it in time for Saturday. We may have an offer for Ryan Bowman, which came in very late in the day so we felt it was in everyone’s best interests that he wasn’t involved in this game.”