Brophy pops up to put an end to Killie’s unwanted nine-in-a-row
They say goals change games but Kilmarnock will be hoping that Eamonn Brophy’s brace and Nicke Kabamba’s third in five games since he joined from Hartlepool United last month will change their season.
A run of nine games without a victory has come to an end, easing – at least a little – the pressure on interim manager Alex Dyer, who must have been fearing at the interval that his luck would never change.
The result hoists them to within four points of Hibs in the top six but County’s defeat means they are only four points above Hamilton and Hearts at the foot of the table.
“It was a good victory and one we deserved,” said Dyer. “Their goal came against the run of play from their first shot.
“We didn’t panic at half-time and we just had a quick chat.
“We could have had more goals but I’m happy with what we got.”
Killie came agonisingly close to drawing first blood in the third minute when County keeper Nathan Baxter fumbled a shot from Eamonn Brophy behind him, only for Richard Foster to spare his blushes by clearing the ball off the line.
Rory McKenzie claimed for a penalty when he went flying following a tussle as they went for the rebound but the wide boy was lucky to avoid a booking for diving.
However, he definitely should have been awarded a spot-kick in the 17th minute when Jordan Tillson barged him to the ground as he attempted to get on the end of Chris Burke’s cross. Referee Collum ignored the appeals.
It was all Killie, and Burke went close with a dipping 25-yarder, but some calamitous Killie defending saw County them take the lead.
Laurentiu Branescu threw the ball out to Niko Hamalainen but the full-back over-ran it, Josh Mullin intercepted and the ball broke to Iain Vigurs on the edge of the 18-yard box. The midfielder took a touch before sending a leftfoot drive inside Branescu’s righthand post.
That goal seemed to deflate the hosts, whose earlier confidence swiftly eroded. County, by contrast, grew in confidence.
Dyer’s men attempted to take the game to their opponents after the break but the fizz appeared to have gone out of their play until Scotland striker Eamonn Brophy stepped up.
Collecting the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he cut in from the left to drill an unsaveable shot high behind Baxter from 18 yards for his fifth goal of the current campaign.
He then stung Baxter’s hands with a full-blooded angled drive before putting his side in front just three minutes after pulling them level. Coll Donaldson brought down Burke after being bamboozled by the veteran winger and this time Mr Collum did point to the spot.
Baxter dived to his right but, like Bing Crosby, Brophy drove it straight down the middle and sent the home fans into ecstasy for the first time in over two months.
The goalkeeper did well to turn over Dario Del Fabro’s looping header from a Burke corner and Stephen O’Donnell’s low drive from the far corner of the penalty area was inches wide as Killie threatened to run riot.
As it was, County restricted them to just one more goal, which arrived seven minutes from the end. Vigurs’ professional foul on McKenzie was severely punished when Burke’s free-kick to the far post was met by Nicke Kabamba, whose header arced over Baxter and under his crossbar to make the scoreline more realistic.