Cracker by Carroll as Killie feel more pain
THE hallmarks of the team that finished third in the Premiership last season were there on show for all to see at Rugby Park.
A stout back-four display, dangerous counter-attacks, midfield tenacity and drive, resilience throughout the side and a sprinkling of set-piece excellence to claim a narrow victory.
The problem for managerless Kilmarnock is that, as they struggle to find their identity following the Angelo Alessio appointment and 22-game reign, it was the visitors who displayed those key qualities.
Stephen Robinson’s men are well equipped to remain in pole position for the ‘best-of-the-rest’ crown come the turn of the year after Jake Carroll’s fine free-kick clinched their 11th league win of the season.
Motherwell leapfrogged Aberdeen ahead of the long trip to Dingwall for a Boxing Day match and, three days later, a Lanarkshire derby at home to Hamilton Accies.
Carroll struck midway through a second half that was a marked improvement on a dismal first period that would have driven the punters out of Rugby Park and into the packed shopping centres.
Killie just can’t go out and buy a big result right now. That’s five games without a win, four without a goal. They have beaten only bottomclub Hearts in their last nine league matches. There was no immediate bounce to be gained from binning the apparently unpopular Alessio.
Caretaker manager Alex Dyer, given hearty recommendation by a host of first-team players, made one personnel call from the defeat at Ross County which triggered the sacking of Alessio — Mohamed El Makrini in for Liam Millar.
There had also been backroom alterations as a result of the Italian’s abrupt departure.
Long-serving Billy Thomson was granted a reversal of the demotion he suffered in the close season and was back as first-team goalkeeping coach.
However, Killie’s No1 Laurentiu Branescu could have spent the week on a tour of the town’s Christmas parties and still have coped with what Motherwell threw at him in a first half starved of activity in both goalmouths.
On a rare occasion for Motherwell’s Jermaine Hylton to get some change out of Stephen O’Donnell, Allan Campbell met the winger’s cutback on the run. On-loan Wolves defender Connor Johnson impressed on his first outing at Rugby Park with a well-timed intervention to force Campbell’s shot over the crossbar.
Eamonn Brophy was feeding off scraps at the other end, doing well when off balance to loop a header narrowly wide of Mark Gillespie’s left-hand post.
Motherwell’s set-up was disrupted a minute before the break when Liam Donnelly was forced off with a hamstring pull and Liam Polworth came on as his replacement.
However, they emerged from the interval a more dangerous proposition driving forward.
The pace of the game lifted considerably and the visitors knocked on the door before Carroll blew it off the hinges.
First, the frustration of a ‘goal’ disallowed.
Striker Chris Long ill-advisedly gatecrashed Hylton’s goalbound drive to nudge the ball over the line from an obviously offside position.
That was Hylton’s last meaningful contribution as Robinson called for Sherwin Seedorf as his threat wide on the left for the final half hour.
James Scott’s shot from the edge of the penalty box was a wicked one for Branescu, who dealt with the swerve to force the ball wide.
The Romanian was, however, rooted to the spot as Motherwell netted in spectacular fashion.
El Makrini had hinted at making a nuisance of himself in Killie’s pursuit of a goal with ghosting runs into the area but wound up costing his team by tripping the impressive
Mark O’Hara at the other end. Carroll’s dead-ball strike was sound, although he was aided by Branescu taking one step the wrong way, rendering him stranded on his line as the ball flashed past him.
Kilmarnock were typically dogged in targeting an equaliser. And they would have got it had Brophy not blazed over one great chance from eight yards, teed up by O’Donnell.
Then two superb saves from Gillespie prevented them from grabbing at least a point.
After his poor miss, Brophy did little wrong with his next chance. The Scotland cap spun defenders then fired powerfully across goal — and this one was bang on target until Gillespie denied him at full stretch. The Motherwell keeper then topped that save in injury time.
O’Donnell’s run from deep outstripped the visiting defence and his right-foot drive was soaring into the net before Gillespie flicked out a wrist to force the shot wide.
That stop came as a relief to Motherwell sub Polworth, who should have wrapped up the points on 89 minutes and avoided any such horrible late scares.
Clean through and with options either side, Polworth went for glory and was thwarted by Branescu’s boot.