Magennis turns on the magic to dump Caley
KILMARNOCK moved to within a point of eighth-placed Inverness with this comprehensive victory.
Northern Ireland striker Josh Magennis maintained his fine recent scoring form with a secondhalf strike, but the Ayrshire club were just as pleased to have recorded their first clean sheet in 22 games.
Magennis will capture the headlines, though, and the 25-yearold was a handful for Caley.
‘I went into this game with a lot of confidence and I always knew that it was only a matter of time before my link-up play with Kallum Higginbotham would pay off with a goal,’ he said.
‘My goal against Greece last week also helped. I take a lot of criticism for not scoring, so that was a real boost. As a striker, you’re judged on goals but I took just as much pleasure from setting up the opener for Greg Kiltie as I did scoring myself.’
The result could have been much different had Inverness not passed up two great opportunities in as many minutes to take an early lead.
Danny Devine wasted a free header in the eighth minute after getting on the end of Carl Tremarco’s knock-on and Ross Draper also failed to work the keeper when he nodded over from Ryan Christie’s free-kick.
Killie then appealed in vain for a penalty when Draper appeared to block Craig Slater’s net-bound drive with an arm and Kiltie fired over from the rebound.
Draper also managed to throw his body, quite legitimately, in front of Higginbotham’s shot to deflect the ball behind for a corner.
The home side came close again, with Magennis getting on the end of a cross from Kiltie and Owain Fon Williams needed two attempts to gather the Northern Ireland striker’s header.
However, Killie broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Kiltie’s low drive from the edge of the 18-yard box flashed past Fon Williams after Magennis had nodded Steven Smith’s cross into his path.
Killie keeper Jamie MacDonald made his first save after the restart, twisting to push a swerving shot from Christie over the bar.
Then Magennis ought to have played in the unmarked Kevin McHattie for a tap-in rather than attempting to shoot from a tight angle.
He atoned in spectacular fashion, however, using his strength to hold off his marker as he raced on to an incisive pass from Higginbotham before firing home from 15 yards.
‘It was a great day for us but the clean sheet was the most important one because we hadn’t had one this season,’ said Killie boss Gary Locke.