WE NEED TO GROW UP, INSISTS EREMENKO
THERE are those who would argue that, in the white-hot heat of a relegation battle, someone like Alexei Eremenko is a luxury Kilmarnock cannot afford. The Finnish playmaker believes, however, that the best thing Killie can do in their current plight is to ensure that he has opportunities to display his creative talents. He may have a point. This defeat was their sixth in a row and another reverse at Fir Park on Friday would reduce the gap between themselves and secondbottom Motherwell to just three points with two games left. The 32-year-old warns his side’s youngsters (six of the players used at Rugby Park were 21 or under) that, in order to stay up, they need to grow up. ‘We are losing cheap goals,’ he said. ‘We have a young team and now people are scared to make mistakes. ‘Instead of taking control of the ball and looking up to see who they can pass to, they lump it forward, hoping that Josh Magennis will win it and I would get the second ball. ‘That’s not really my game. I need the ball at my feet. If I get the ball and can turn, then I will create and try to make the right pass. ‘This is the highest division and all the lads that are playing are not 15 or 16-year-olds any more — they are grown men.’ Lee Ashcroft got Killie off to a flying start when he headed home an Eremenko corner, but they were brought back down to earth when the first of two errors from Craig Samson allowed Jason Scotland to equalise. A stunning strike from Darian MacKinnon put Accies ahead and then Samson was slow to react to Ali Crawford’s through ball and Nigel Hasselbaink stole in to send it over the line. Greg Kiltie reduced the deficit by firing home from an Eremenko free-kick but that was as good as it got for the hosts. Referee Steven McLean was once again the centre of attention for the wrong reasons when he adjudged that cautions were the appropriate punishments when Ashcroft blatantly punched Hasselbaink in the stomach and the striker retaliated with a head butt. Perhaps the SFA’s compliance officer, Tony McGlennan, will step in to upgrade those cards to red. Then again, perhaps not.
KILMARNOCK (4-4-1-1): Samson 3; O’Hara 5, Ashcroft 6, Pascali 5, Barbour 5; McKenzie 5 (Cairney 73), Clingan 5, Slater 5 (Miller 73), Johnston 5 (Kiltie 62); Eremenko 5; Magennis 6. Subs not used: Brennan, Hamill, Eccleston, Syme. Booked: Slater, Ashcroft.
HAMILTON ACCIES (4-1-4-1): McGovern 6; Lyon 6, Devlin 6, Tena 6, MacDonald 6 (Hendrie 88); Gillespie 6; Imrie 6 (Lucas 90), MacKinnon 8, Crawford 7, Longridge 7; Scotland 6 (Hasselbaink 68). Subs not used: Hill, Watson, Brophy, Docherty. Booked: Hasselbaink, MacKinnon. Referee: Steven McLean.
Attendance: 3,450. Man of the match: Darian MacKinnon.