Lafferty’s impact can save Killie from dreaded drop, insists Burke
CHRIS BURKE and Kyle Lafferty were Rangers colleagues for a fleeting six months, playing in the same Walter Smith team for a total of only 46 minutes. Kilmarnock are not exactly seeking a long-term renewal of that brief connection. Simply a meaningful one. It’s certainly possible on the evidence of Saturday’s draw with Dundee United that halted Killie’s slide and hinted at a momentum swing in an otherwise horrible 2021 for the club. Lafferty is in town for a few months. When is he ever around for much longer? And it’s an impact player Tommy Wright needs, not a project. That’s why picking Lafferty up from his latest underwhelming posting — Serie B with Reggina — made so much sense for a team in peril. After a second-half outing at Pittodrie last weekend, he made his first start at home to United. Only a borderline decision by referee David Munro, disallowing a goal for a Kirk Broadfoot foul on Benjamin Siegrist, prevented Lafferty from capping a menacing display with a winner. He cracked a 25-yarder off the crossbar, brought the best out of Siegrist at a free-kick, and provided the flick for Zech Medley’s leveller from a Burke corner. Lafferty looked in the mood and Burke insists he’s been equally as focused in training and, crucially, showing signs of contentment. ‘I worked with Kyle in my last six months at Rangers, trained with him a lot and he does have bags of talent and ability,’ said Burke. ‘It was just trying to get the best out of him. He’s been away in different places and sometimes it just doesn’t work for you. ‘Not because of his fault but because of other reasons such as the environment he finds himself in. He’s back in Scotland now and hopefully feels settled. He looks like he’s happy and, when you’re happy, sometimes
your performances are better. He’s made a difference. He’s a great character who brings personality to the group. ‘Especially in a moment like this when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, he lifts others and gives them energy. ‘If we keep him fit he could score a couple for us before the end of the season. We’re creating chances and maybe we’ve just been trying to find that last piece of the jigsaw.’ After eight defeats in a row, five games without a goal and sitting second from bottom, this looked like a turning point for boss Wright, even if the performance failed to get the victory it deserved. Seven games remain against bottom-six opposition, starting at Dingwall on Saturday and followed by the visit of Motherwell before the split. A ferocious relegation scrap should certainly retain Lafferty’s interest. Kilmarnock ended the day happier than the visitors, who led through a deflected Adrian Sporle shot. A point, compared to the three picked up by St Mirren, means
United are four adrift of the top six with home games against Celtic and Aberdeen up next. Things could have been worse if Lafferty’s ‘goal’ had been allowed to stand, and keeper Siegrist praised the ref for penalising Broadfoot’s challenge on him. ‘I just scooped the ball up and, once my hands and head were down, you’ve got to protect the keeper a bit,’ said Siegrist. ‘(Broadfoot) came steaming in. It was a 50-50 and I felt it was the right decision because I got there a fraction earlier. ‘A win would have been better. But we’ve come so far we’re disappointed not to hang on or get a second goal ourselves.’
KILMARNOCK (4-2-3-1): Doyle 8; Millen 6, Broadfoot 6, Medley 7, Haunstrup 6; Dicker 7, Power 7; McKenzie 6 (Burke 61), Kiltie 6, Pinnock 5 (Kabamba 61); Lafferty 8. Subs not used: Rogers, McGowan, Rossi, Waters, Mulumbu, Tshibola, Oakley. Booked: Kiltie. DUNDEE UNITED (4-4-2): Siegrist 7; L Smith 6, Edwards 7, Reynolds 6, Robson 6; Butcher 6, Fuchs 7 (Connolly 55), Harkes 6, Sporle 6 (Appere 28 (Clark 83)); McNulty 5, Shankland 6. Subs not used: Mehmet, Hoti, Chalmers, Bolton, Neilson, K Smith. Booked: Fuchs, L Smith, Connolly, Harkes. Man of the match: Kyle Lafferty. Referee: David Munro.