Hamill sets sights on a Tannadice knockout
KILMARNOCK breathed life into their survival battle on Saturday and now midfielder Jamie Hamill wants to hammer the final nail into Dundee United’s coffin at Tannadice next weekend.
Gary Locke’s men defeated John Hughes’ Highlanders to bring a congested bottom six even tighter together and cast Mixu Paatelainen’s men 14 points adrift at the foot of the table.
Killie remain in the play-off position on goal difference but are level on points with Partick Thistle and Hamilton and are only four adrift of seventh-placed Caley.
Hamill believes Killie have turned a corner and insists they will travel to the east coast with confidence.
The Ayrshire club won 2-1 on Tayside in September and Hamill is convinced a similar outcome next week would spell relegation for the Tangerines.
‘It’s a last chance for United to claw us back,’ said Hamill. ‘Every game they go into now they know they need to get a positive result. This will be a cup final for them, just as it is for us.
‘If we beat them then we’ll be 17 points clear of them but that’s a big if. So it’s going to be tough for us and we need to focus on that.
‘It’s just not happening for them at the moment but we’re going up there with a wee bit of confidence.
‘We’re still not in a good situation but we just need to continue what we’ve been doing in the last four games and, hopefully, that will be enough to see us climb the table.’
If Killie can summon up the verve and resolve they displayed here, they should have enough to steer clear of the bottom two.
In a match which was twice halted so that the lines could be cleared of snow — and where half-time lasted 25 minutes while a tractor swept it off the pitch — the hosts handled the weather better than the Highlanders.
Greg Kiltie celebrated his new contract by firing the opener behind Owain Fon Williams after Adam Frizzell’s netbound effort from Hamill’s delivery had been blocked.
And, although Ross Draper produced a clinical finish to equalise before the interval, Craig Slater’s spectacular volley, assisted by woeful defensive headers by Gary Warren and David Raven, was enough to win it.
‘In the last 20 minutes they were throwing everything at us — including the kitchen sink! — but we all stood up to be counted,’ said Hamill.
‘For me, it’s vital to try to lead some of the younger lads through the game. If they see me winning headers then, the next time that ball comes into our box, they’ll be thinking: “I’m going to claim this.”
‘That then flows throughout the team. So it’s a positive result but we need to build on it.’
It was an afternoon to forget for Hughes’ side, who had been unbeaten in their previous six outings.
‘I’ve never played in conditions as bad as that before but, in football, there’s no point in dwelling on anything,’ said Fon Williams.
‘It was difficult underfoot — I’m not going to sit here and say it was just another game because it wasn’t. The snow hangs on to the ball, doesn’t it?
‘But no one likes it when games are called off and I absolutely hate it. There’s nothing worse, so full credit to the staff here.’