Clark’s men feeling heat after Conrad’s calamity
KILMARNOCK plunged deeper into trouble near the foot of the Scottish Premiership after a moment of madness by Conrad Balatoni turned this match on its head. Leading through Kallum Higginbotham’s lovely, late first-half finish, the Ayrshire club self-destructed shortly after the interval when Balatoni’s poor back pass saw his goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald forced to bring down Caley Thistle’s Ross Draper.
The Killie No 1 was sent off and Greg Tansey equalised from the resultant penalty, with further goals from Draper and Danny Williams ensuring the visitors ran out heavy losers to an Inverness side who are now all but assured top-flight safety.
Not since 1993 have the Rugby Park team experienced life outside the top flight, but, despite recent encouragements, they now face a perilous task in reviving this ailing season just days after announcing financial losses of £750,000.
The match had started with John Hughes’ hosts seeking to put the lingering danger of relegation to bed, knowing three points and a superior goal difference would all but safeguard their top-flight status.
Williams, confirmed as being Dundee-bound next season, earned his first start since news broke of his pre-contract agreement with Paul Hartley’s side. And he was to prove influential in victory.
Of course, the visitors’ need was far greater than the Highlanders’ given their lowly berth. But a day which started out so promisingly for them ended in torment.
Killie’s Mark O’Hara escaped without punishment early on when he appeared to bring down Inverness striker Miles Storey, who was in behind the away defence.
After seven minutes, a slack pass by Iain Vigurs allowed Higginbotham to waltz away on the right.
But he totally over-cooked his cross, with striker Kris Boyd prowling in the penalty area.
With 11 minutes gone, Killie’s Greg Kiltie escaped the attentions of Vigurs and Tansey but fired wide from 25 yards.
There was finally a shot on target — from Inverness — after 31 minutes.
Storey strode into the box and laid the ball sideways to Williams but his left-foot attempt was turned away for a corner by MacDonald.
A spell of sustained home pressure failed to bring a breakthrough, with Gary Warren’s shot knocked off the line by Julien Faubert and Draper knocking a chance wide at the back post.
Williams also had the ball in the net eight minutes before the break, but was adjudged to have fouled the keeper.
The opener finally materialised at the other end of the field a minute before the break.
Killie broke three-on-three, with Caley Thistle’s rearguard backing off. Kiltie twisted towards the edge of the box but then laid it back to Higginbotham, who struck superbly with a curling shot from just inside the left corner of the box to beat Owain Fon Williams inside his far post.
As the second half opened in similar fashion, it was initially difficult to see a route back for wasteful Inverness, but that all changed on the back of Balatoni’s terrible mistake.
His pass-back after 53 minutes was ridiculously misjudged and the alert Draper took a touch past MacDonald, who brought him crashing to earth.
Killie’s No 1 saw red, with substitute goalkeeper Conor Brennan replacing the sacrificed Higginbotham.
Tansey struck the penalty low into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Momentum naturally swung behind the hosts, with pressure exerted steadily until a scare after 66 minutes.
Boyd’s free-kick from more than 25 yards held real venom but was parried by Fon Williams before the rebound, flying awkwardly at Rory McKenzie at pace, was knocked into the side-netting.
Play immediately tore to the other end where, from Storey’s cross, defender Josh Meekings was guilty of a howling miss with a header over from close range.
But the home side were in safe territory with two quick-fire goals inside three minutes.
Tansey’s corner was knocked down by Warren and stuck into the roof of the net by the big, long leg of Draper.
Just under three minutes later, a Liam Polworth pass set up Williams inside the left edge of the box for the sharpest of shots which flew past the diving keeper.