Jury still out over Clark as Killie toil
TWO themes became prevalent in this match. One centred on Michael Johnston and some thoroughly unfavourable four-letter sentiments; the other on how Lee Clark continues to divide opinion.
Are Kilmarnock better now than when Clark took charge in February of last season? Yes, unquestionably. But that’s hardly a resounding endorsement given how poor they were under Gary Locke.
Under Clark, Kilmarnock have won six times in 25 matches. Nobody can ever take away from him the achievement of saving the club from relegation last season. But fans are entitled to ask: ‘What next?’
No Killie supporter in their right mind suddenly expects Samba Soccer to grace Rugby Park any time soon, but they are within their rights to expect better than what they saw on Saturday.
Against Partick Thistle, a team who had suffered three successive defeats and sat bottom of the table at the start of the day, Clark’s Plan A was to bypass midfield and play off second-ball scraps won by lone striker Kris Boyd.
That’s fine as a counterattacking tactic in games you are not expected to win. But at home against a team you should be looking to beat? Really?
You might look at the scoreline here and draw the conclusion that Kilmarnock were wasteful, twice failing to hold on to a lead. But nothing could be further from the truth.
By the time Liam Lindsay had dragged Thistle level for a second time in the 82nd minute, the only surprise was that Kilmarnock had been ahead.
Thistle battered Clark’s team. Though it was the visitors who struck a late equaliser, it felt like it was Kilmarnock who had pilfered a point from their opponents’ pocket, given the balance of play.
‘We are now unbeaten in three games, so that’s a big step for us,’ said Killie midfielder Rory McKenzie. ‘I’m not saying we’re playing great, but we’re not losing games, either.
‘Look at the past couple of seasons. We struggled to grind out a draw.
‘We were getting run around at times in the match and, thinking back to the start of last season, that might have been the kind of game where we conceded four or five.’
That much is true. The likes of Dundee and Ross County ransacking the Kilmarnock defence last season has left some scars. But to use those defeats as a gauge of improvement is fairly uninspiring.
What’s the argument? That Killie are now slightly less likely to be thrashed than they were 12 months ago? Hardly going to raise ticket sales, is it?
Clark has been hamstrung by finance. A total of 17 players arrived over the summer, few of whom would have featured on his shopping list by choice.
Souleymane Coulibaly is an exciting addition. The Ivorian almost replicated his goal at Dundee last week with another stunning overhead effort here.
After Kris Boyd had poked home from close range to give Killie the lead against the run of play on 16 minutes, Thistle responded with zest and imagination.
From a David Amoo cross, Stevie Lawless took one touch to jink round Scott Boyd and another to finish low into Jamie MacDonald’s bottom corner on 32 minutes.
Thistle would then be caught by a sucker punch on 65 minutes as Coulibaly leapt above Ziggy Gordon at the far post to head beyond Ryan Scully.
But the Jags came from behind yet again. From a Callum Booth free-kick, MacDonald saved Kris Doolan’s initial effort. The rebound fell kindly for Lindsay (below) to finish. Abdul Osman was then sent off for two late bookings.
‘We were the better team,’ said Erskine. ‘We showed good character to come from behind and equalise not once but twice, but we were disappointed not to come away with three points.’
Back in May, Clark vowed that Kilmarnock would never face another relegation battle as long as he was in charge. He may yet be proved to be correct, but don’t expect it to be a comfortable journey.
The jury have yet to be convinced and the next line of questioning involves a trip to Celtic Park on Saturday, followed by the visit of Aberdeen to Ayrshire seven days later.