Newton and Wylde strike to end winless run
In today’s Flashback, we look back on a clash between Kilmarnock and St Mirren in March, 2014 ahead of the Buddies trip to Rugby Park tomorrow night.
Two late goals from Conor Newton and Gregg Wylde secured St Mirren’s first league win in six matches and hauled them up to ninth spot in the table.
Newton drove low and into the net with 10 minutes remaining, before Wylde clambered off the bench to extend the lead.
After a minute played, Steven Thompson headed over a Kenny McLean free-kick in St Mirren’s first glimpse of goal.
Then McAusland sliced a Rory McKenzie cross into the dangerzone behind for a corner on the right hand side but Marian Kello got two fists to the cross from Sammy Clingan.
Josh Magennis showed nice footwork before the on-loan Aberdeen forward drove a right-foot shot from 25 yards over target.
Midfielder John McGinn could only aim a tame header into the arms of Craig Samson from a McGowan cross, before Thompson’s header played in McGowan- but he could not get enough on the ball to divert it towards goal.
After 17 minutes Magennis saw a turn and shot from a McGowan pass deflect wide for a corner.
Midfielder McLean fizzed a free-kick from distance agonisingly wide of Samson’s left hand post after McGowan took a tumble.
McGowan saw an effort in the box blocked by Killie centre-half Manuel Pascali after Sean Kelly kept his run going down the left to create the chance.
Killie fans screamed for a spot kick when McAusland’s clearance in the 38th minute appeared to come off McLean’s arm but referee Crawford Allan saw nothing untoward.
Half-time substitution Robbie Muirhead brought Kello to his knees with a testing shot from distance after the Killie man picked up a Jeroen Tesselaar pass.
At the other end, Thompson saw a header from a cross on the right easily taken by former team-mate Samson.
After 55 minutes, McGowan’s low effort was touched away by Samson at his left, after he picked up McGinn’s pass.
Magennis also saw an effort saved by Samson at his near post after the Saints forward connected with Newton’s cute pass.
McGowan, Newton and Magennis were all guilty of dithering when they should have burst the net as Kello’s long punt deceived the Killie defence but none of them looked confident of scoring.
At the other end, Kello got a hand to Muirhead’s lovely curling left foot effort, the save taking the ball beyond the far post and out for a corner.
Magennis saw a low drive fly across the face of goal as Saints searched for that opener, before a McLean free-kick over on the right-hand side deflected off the Kilmarnock wall.
Killie centre-half Lee Ashcroft knocked an effort over target when he connected with an Irvine cross, before Irvine himself cracked an effort from distance well over.
Wylde replaced the hard-working McGowan, with 14 minutes remaining, before Saints finally pulled ahead.
Wylde pinged in the cross, Thompson flicked it on and Newton ran in to send a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner.
A minute later, striker Kris Boyd was denied by the woodwork when he collected a Craig Slater pass, then flicked a shot past Kello – but the post came to the rescue before Darren McGregor hoofed it clear.
And Saints made the game safe with two minutes remaining as Wylde picked up loose possession, weaved into the penalty box and unleashed a left foot effort from 16 yards into the net.