KILLIE FIRED UP
Clarke’s men come back from a two-goal deficit to keep up their great revival
THERE is definitely something happening at Kilmarnock. This team, once sure-fire relegation fodder and now staging the kind of comebacks that got Lazarus such a reputation, have turned Rugby Park — blasted pitch and all — into a feared destination with a returning fanbase.
There is an atmosphere, too. Not the kind experienced by former managers such as Lee McCulloch and Allan Johnston, where you were just waiting for the awkward silence to be pierced by the first guy to shout for their P45s to be sent out.
There is proper cheering. The punters are singing from beginning to end. Even when their team doesn’t win. It is quite disconcerting.
That Youssouf Mulumbu is the centre of the lion’s share of their chanting tells its own story. As did the last 20 minutes of this enthralling, fascinating, wonderful spectacle.
With strikes from the excellent Jordan Jones and captain Kris Boyd having made it 2-2 following a nightmarish opening nine minutes that saw goals conceded to Florian Kamberi and Ryan Porteous, Killie were absolutely battering Hibs.
And Mulumbu was everywhere — forcing two good saves in quick succession from visiting goalkeeper Ofir Marciano, sparking off moves left, right and centre, demanding everyone in the team ask for the ball with the same appetite and urgency as him.
He is a class act. The former West Bromwich Albion midfielder has played a key role in establishing the ever-increasing standards at the Ayrshire club under manager Steve Clarke.
In the end, the home side could not quite match the recent visit of Dundee when ten men came back from 2-0 down to snatch a remarkable 3-2 win at the death.
However, watching the entire East Stand rise to the players — and Mulumbu, in particular — at time-up shows that this is, at long last, a club where everyone is moving in the same direction.
Neil Lennon was so furious at the penalty-kick that led to Boyd’s equaliser that he ended up being sent to the stand by referee Kevin Clancy. The Hibs manager did appear to have a valid argument. However, no one can deny Killie deserved a point at the very least.
The stats say they had 19 shots on goal and 16 corners, but it felt like more. In the wake of Boyd’s goal, you could feel a winner in the air.
Maybe Clancy, pilloried by Lennon afterwards, had something to do with the fact that Hibs held out for a point.
After all, their right-back, Efe Ambrose — already on a yellow card — should have been sent off on 65 minutes when bringing down Jones on the wing.
From that point onwards, Mulumbu had two shots saved, Stuart Findlay sent a header wide, Eamonn Brophy had his effort stopped by Marciano, Jones shaved the post and Stephen O’Donnell just missed with a curling left-footer. It is hard to think of what more the home side could have done.
And, yet, what a horrific start they made. Twenty-seven seconds in and a goal down after a cross by Lewis Stevenson hit off Gary Dicker, and Kamberi — now with three goals in four outings — flicked home a lovely finish.
On nine minutes, it was 2-0, Porteous rising unchallenged to power home a Scott Allan corner.
Moments later, Jamie Maclaren missed a sitter when putting the ball over the crossbar after Kirk Broadfoot had diverted a Martin Boyle cross into his path.
Then Maclaren found himself denied by a good save from keeper Jamie MacDonald.
It could — and should — have been 4-0. Even when Killie got a grip of things and gone close through Boyd and Jones, the visitors could easily have scored a third when hitting on the counter.
Allan sent Kamberi straight through on 38 minutes, only for the former Switzerland Under-21 player to fluff his effort and allow MacDonald to save.
Jones hit the post for Killie with a rasping shot just before the break. It was a sign of things to come.
Thirteen minutes after the interval, with Killie building a real head of steam, the Northern Ireland international picked up a pass from Broadfoot, cut inside and released a right-footed shot from more than 20 yards that left Marciano helpless.
Three minutes later, the hosts were level. A poor free-kick from Boyd broke off the wall to Alan Power and his effort, going well wide of target, struck Porteous.
The young defender, in the side as a result of Paul Hanlon’s wife giving birth last night, definitely did not raise his right arm. There are doubts over whether the ball even hit his arm. Clancy pointed to the spot, however, and all hell broke loose.
Boyd’s penalty was expertly saved by Marciano, but the ball went back into the striker’s path and he bundled it home.
Clancy had his eyes on Lennon, though. After a brief exchange, the Hibs boss was sent to the stand. His decision to applaud theatrically is something he may have cause to regret.
Lennon does go a bit mental at times. So does Scottish football. And days like yesterday at Rugby Park are why we just cannot let it go.