Clark strikes in the nick of time
An unlikely hero puts Rangers in last eight
IN the midst of an Ayrshire monsoon, the hatches were being battened down. The clock showed 92 minutes and mental preparations were beginning for extra-time.
Rangers, roared on by their baying 8,000-strong travelling support, had one last chance; one last crack of the whip. One final opportunity to turn their second-half superiority into something tangible.
Give Nicky Clark this. The former Queen of the South man is not everyone’s favourite. When Martyn Waghorn slammed home a thirdminute penalty, then limped from the pitch, Clark’s recent record hardly hinted at what was to come.
A player who spends much of his time warming the Ibrox bench, watching and waiting, the striker picked his moment perfectly to explode into this match.
There were 90 seconds of added-on time to go before another 30 minutes of this contest beckoned. As the rain cascaded down on the artificial pitch, Kilmarnock were dead on their feet. How the Championship leaders took advantage.
Jason Holt forced a corner, Barrie McKay took it and, with a thudding volley into the corner of the net, Clark sent the visiting fans behind the goal into joyous ecstasy with his sixth goal of the season.
A match of fast, frantic action in torrential rain was over. The TV cameras were absent, but they won’t be when Rangers play a quarter-final against Dundee or Dumbarton.
For Lee Clark, t his was a disappointing, but heartening start to life as Kilmarnock manager. His team tired in the end. They looked like the Championship side. Rangers like the top-tier greyhound.
Yet the Ayrshire team made a cup tie of this after an inauspicious start and the loss of that early goal.
Former Huddersfield and Blackpool boss Clark l eft the coaching to Lee McCulloch, the assistant manager handling his t hird and f i nal game before surrendering the reins.
The new man had barely climbed the stairs of the main stand when Rangers were awarded a penalty.
A long ball in behind the home defence by James Tavernier gave Waghorn something to chase.
The Englishman nicked it past Steven Smith, the Kilmarnock full-back caught on the wrong side of the bouncing ball and careering into Waghorn from behind. Referee Bobby Madden pointed immediately to the spot. Probably rightly.
Waghorn climbed gingerly to his feet after a heavy tumble to smash his 28th goal of the season past Jamie MacDonald from 12 yards, his first in six matches. And that was that, his last contribution of the night after three minutes of play. The striker’s game was over.
Limping to the sidelines to be replaced by Clark, the loss of the top scorer was an undeniable blow for Rangers.
Killie came alive and began to look like a home team.
The swift equaliser helped. Rory McKenzie provided it with a goal of composure in seven minutes.
He cut in from the right flank and had the time and space he needed to plant his low, left-foot shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner past a diving Wes Foderingham.
At 1-1 we had a cup tie on our hands, the sodden conditions failing to dampen spirits in either team.
Kilmarnock should have taken the lead in the 15th minute. A blunder by Rob
Kiernan in the centre circle presented Josh Magennis with an outstanding chance to charge towards goal. Perhaps the artificial pitch was the reason the ball stuck under his feet. Either way, a relieved Kiernan made amends for his error by po king a toe in from behind and ushering the ball back towards Foderingham. The Killie screams for a penalty fell on deaf ears. Rightly so.
The game couldn’t maintain the early pace. But it made a hell of an effort. The first half crackled with electricity. Occasionally with ill feeling. McKenzie’s wild, fresh air, dangerous swipe on
Dominic Ball brought an advantage call from referee Madden. The play finally stopped when an incensed Ball took retribution, thudding into Craig Slater to earn a yellow card.
A furious McKenzie failed to receive the same treatment as Mark Warburton’s vocal protests drew the attention of Madden, followed by a touchline talking to.
Rangers finished the half stronger. Kenny Miller smashed a l ow, left-foot shot narrowly past the far post, the final chance of a frenzied opening 45 minutes.
The second was no different. The rain fell so hard Rugby Park almost became the first artificial pitch to be waterlogged. Moments of genuine inspiration became rarer than a hen’s tooth. Yet Rangers were working up a head of steam. Kilmarnock, the Premiership team, were forced to play on the break.
McKay came to within inches of marking a new two-and-a-half year contract extension with a stunning goal. A bouncing half-volley from the young wide man looked in all the way until it swung past the post at the last.
Tavernier was next to have a go, a long-range piledriver from the edge
of the area pushed over the bar by Jamie MacDonald.
Rangers’ supporters howled for a second penalty kick in 65 minutes. Miller made space for himself in the area and appeared to be pulled back by substitute Lee Ashcroft. After giving one penalty, referees are notoriously reluctant to give a second. Madden was no exception.
All of this added up to growing frustration for the visitors. By now they were demonstrably the better team. Kilmarnock were operating on scraps.
Like the first game at Ibrox, however, the problem for Rangers was clear. Turning territorial superiority into a goal was the major i ssue. Kilmarnock had another difficulty. Getting the ball and keeping it.
It took a brave, sliding block from Conrad Balatoni in a congested area to prevent Rangers substitute Harry Forrester thumping the Championship team i nto the quarter-finals.
But the tide, like the weather, would not be held back. As Clark slammed a striker’s finish into the net, Kilmarnock slumped to their knees. Rangers were through.