Clean sheet just reward for Killie hero MacDonald

DIRECTLY outside the Frank Beattie stand at Rugby Park is a red brick wall. It often serves as a source of stability f or any well- oiled stragglers emerging from the adjoining hospitality suite.

On Saturday, it served an altogether different purpose which offered a fascinating insight into Kilmarnock’s season.

There stood two young boys, no more than eight or nine, indulging in a penalty shootout. The jumpers thrown down for goalposts revealed two bright pink jerseys, each with the name ‘MacDonald’ emblazoned on the back.

But the youngsters were not mimicking Josh Magennis or Kris Boyd. They were flinging themselves around trying to recreate the heroics of keeper Jamie MacDonald.

Since signing in the summer, he has been the club’s star performer. Throughout a difficult opening to the season — including 4-0 home losses to Dundee and Ross County — the ex-Hearts and Falkirk No 1 prevented those scorelines from threatening double figures.

No wonder he was delighted to keep his first clean sheet of the season—K illie’ s first in 21 games—in the win over Inverness Caley Thistle.

‘ I’m absolutely buzzing,’ said MacDonald. ‘It’s been a long time coming.’

And made even sweeter by the opposition. Last time he faced Caley Thistle was in last season’s Scottish Cup Final with the Bairns, when his uncharacteristic error gifted John Hughes’ men the trophy.

‘We were all over the place at the start of the season,’ said MacDonald. ‘People were complementing me when I made six or seven saves in a game, but it didn’t mean anything because we’d lost. So it’s nice to turn that around.’

It speaks volumes he has quickly established himself as a f ans’ favourite at Rugby Park, especially operating behind a back f our t hat shipped 20 goals i n 10 league games prior to this result.

With Stevie Smith asked to play central midfield, he mopped up any danger in front of a back four expertly marshalled by Conrad Balatoni and Stuart Findlay.

At the end of the first half, the Killie midfield harassed Inverness into losing possession on the edge of the box and Greg Kiltie fired his shot low past keeper Owain Fon Williams.

And they wrapped up the game in 66 minutes when Northern Ireland hero Magennis l atched on to Kallum Higginbotham’s lay-off and slotted home.

To MacDonald’s relief, Caley had no reply and the keeper said: ‘I’d have been raging if we’d conceded a goal. I was just desperate to finally get the clean sheet.’