DOCHERTY STRIKING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
HIBS CEMENT TOP-SIX BERTH
The finish was decisive, clinical and exquisite. how Greg Docherty’s parent club Rangers could do with all of those qualities as they endure their own winter of discontent?
As it was, the on-loan midfielder’s strike helped hibernian take another step towards a top-six finish with Adam Jackson providing the winning goal late in the first half after Chris Burke had equalised for Kilmarnock.
The win enables Jack Ross’s team to open a four-point gap between themselves and the Ayrshire side, with the momentum all in favour of hibs following their third win in eight days.
It was the first league win for the Leith side at Rugby Park since October 2017 and sustains the recent form of Ross’s side, who have lost just one game — to Rangers — since the resumption of activity from the winter break.
It has been quite a turnaround since the departure of Paul heckingbottom, with hibs’ momentum now encouraging talk of closing in on a european place.
It was the visitors who were first to really open up the game with full-back Paul McGinn picking out Scott Allan with a pass.
The midfielder rolled the ball into the path of Martin Boyle who advanced to the byeline before getting his cross in. Joe Newell’s effort was blocked in the box before Vykintas Slivka’s subsequent effort met exactly the same fate.
With the wind causing havoc, Kilmarnock midfielder Rory McKenzie tried to use the conditions to his advantage with one long diagonal that sent eamonn Brophy in behind the hibs defence. But, as the forward collected and looked to cut inside, Paul hanlon was able to get back to prevent any damage.
It was hibs, though, who claimed first blood with Docherty firing home a sumptuous effort from just outside the box. Allan’s cross into the area was not properly dealt with by Kilmarnock and, as the ball broke to Docherty, he stepped inside Stephen O’Donnell before arching a right-foot effort into the top corner.
If his celebrations were indicative of the frustration he has felt this term as he struggled for game time at Rangers, he did not have too long to enjoy them as Kilmarnock’s retort was swift.
Gary Dicker started the move as he played in Niko hamalainen, who teed up McKenzie. his effort was blocked by Jackson but, as the ball spun in the air, Burke stooped inside the six-yard box to send a header into the back of the net and restore parity.
As the game opened up, it was the easter Road side who came closest to adding to their tally. A quick free-kick from Newell was intelligently read by Marc McNulty, but Kilmarnock goalkeeper Jan
Koprivec spread himself wide and stuck out a right foot to deflect the effort. It proved, however, to be only a stay of execution as the visitors re-established their lead on the cusp of the interval.
It was Newell again with a freekick that caused all manner of discomfort for the Killie defence. As McGinn looked to get a flick on the free-kick, the ball spun off Nicke Kabamba before breaking to Jackson who netted.
Kilmarnock looked to re-assert themselves immediately after the break, with O’Donnell and Burke combining before Kabamba’s shot was well saved by Ofir Marciano.
Brophy was next as he turned his man but then, with time and space, aimed his shot straight into the arms of Marciano as Dyer’s side continued the search for a leveller.
O’Donnell then whipped in a decent ball that seemed to hang in the air before Jackson cleared but, in their keenness to find a way back into the game, there was always a real danger of leaving themselves open at the back. And in Allan, hibs had a player capable of exploiting that space.
The midfielder aimed a trademark pass that looked to have sent Boyle through, but the ball seemed to run away from the hibs player as Koprivec came off his line and did enough to clear the danger and keep the game alive for the Rugby Park side.
Unperturbed, Killie continued to press forward. A backheel from Dicker into the path of O’Donnell drew a fingertip save for Marciano while a cross from the right-back seemed to catch McKenzie off guard as he failed to make the most of the ball landing right at his feet in the six-yard box.
Kilmarnock spent the last ten minutes throwing everything they had in search of a leveller, with Burke and O’Donnell the architects from the flank. One Burke ball across the six-yard box was begging to be met at the back post, but eluded Brophy and Kabamba.
Kilmarnock’s pressure ought to have borne fruit in the last minute of the game when Jackson’s crude shirt haul on Dario Del Fabro went unpenalised, with television pictures later confirming it looked like a fairly certain penalty.
The game then closed with substitute Greg Kiltie being denied when Marciano turned his effort around the post as hibs held on to claim maximum points.