ONLY FOOLS & FOURCES
Del’s no plonker as talk of Europe not premature any more
KILMARNOCK.... 1 ROSS CO.... 0
CRAIG SWAN AT RUGBY PARK
DEREK McINNES admits he’d have been foolish to forecast a European spot.
But Killie are now within touching distance after skipper Kyle Vassell completed his manager’s task.
Vassell’s 10th goal of the season moved the highflying Rugby Park side five points clear in fourth.
The captain’s ascent into double figures delivered on McInnes’ hopes of seeing his two main hitmen reach double figures.
With Marley Watkins on 12, Vassell kept up his side of the bargain to the delight of his boss and the continent is now firmly in sight with six games to go.
Having just dodged the drop last season, McInnes confessed he could not have suggested Europe as a realistic target when this campaign kicked off as he stated: “I’ll be honest, no.
“It would have been foolish of me to say that given the season we had. Getting the level of player in that we did was key and we had to get them to gel.
“We got a huge dose of confidence from that first game of the season against Rangers and we’ve just carried on from that really.
“We haven’t had any dips in form, we’ve always been really competitive and the players deserve a lot of credit.
“Last week secured the top six and we knew that, if we could get the top six, then you can be in the fight for Europe. I don’t think anyone would have ever thought that and rightly so.
“But now we’re in the top six, hopefully with two or three more wins we might just achieve what we thought would be beyond us.”
With the winds of Storm Kathleen causing havoc, neither side hit top gear yet Killie’s ability to edge it summed up their season. Matty Kennedy hit a post inside the opening seconds but, in a game of few chances, it was Vassell who won it after 64 minutes.
Kennedy’s cross was cleared to the edge of the box and the skipper took a touch to control before rifling past George Wickens.
Several players were involved in a late shoving match which brought five bookings but Vassell had delivered the actual blow to hit his mark and McInnes was delighted.
He said: “My captain takes real responsibility, gets to double figures and led the line brilliantly again with Watkins.
“Matty gets to the byeline and County’s defenders sink back towards their goal. Like all good strikers, Kyle comes out as they all go in, space is created and he gets the allimportant goal.
“I’m pleased for him. We’re patching him up at the minute. He was outstanding at Tynecastle last week and he only managed to train once last week.
“We got him training on Friday to get himself ready and he always turns up for his work. He’s always ready to be there.
“It’s great for Kyle to get his double figures.”
McInnes savoured the manner of the win as he added: “You don’t really enjoy that type of game, you enjoy the aftermath of it.
“We knew from early in the week that we’d be playing 60mph winds, which is hardly ideal in terms of asking players to go out there and perform.
“Sometimes these games are the best ones, 1-0, playing with real concentration. We weren’t brilliant but we didn’t need to be because one goal was enough.”