CLARK IN DESPAIR AS KILLIE BOW OUT
FROM attempted coups in the boardroom to speculation surrounding the future of manager Lee Clark, Kilmarnock is a club in turmoil.
And the despair of their supporters increased even more yesterday when they failed to reach the last 16 of the Betfred Cup after this goalless draw against Albion Rovers.
They needed a victory to have any chance of progressing but were jeered from the pitch at half-time and full-time after failing to score at home against lower-league opposition for the second time in eight days.
Clark signed 11 players during the summer and the oldest of them — 22-year-old Callum McFadzean — has yet to play.
However, the manager has warned his youngsters that they will need to become men by the time they host Motherwell in the Premiership opener on Saturday.
‘We must be ready,’ he said. ‘They must come out and show more than has been shown so far.
‘We need to be more courageous and I have to pick a team which will help us make a positive start to the league campaign.’
Rovers, who had been the better team during regulation time, prevailed during a penalty shoot-out which saw goalkeeper Ross Stewart save from Josh Magennis, while his namesake converted from the spot for the Coatbridge side.
Michael Dunlop, Paul Willis, Kyle Turnbull and Scott McBride also scored for Darren Young’s side, while Steven Smith, Gary Dicker and Flo Bojaj were successful for the hosts. After making eight and six changes respectively to his starting XI in the two previous ties, Clark made just two alterations from the team which won at Berwick in midweek, with Josh Webb and Martin Smith coming in for Greg Taylor and Jonathan Burn.
Souleymane Coulibaly appealed in vain for a penalty in the ninth minute after he was sent sprawling by Rovers captain Michael Dunlop and Magennis was inches away with a shot on the turn in Killie’s next attack.
Midway through the first half, referee Bobby Madden controversially disallowed what looked a perfectly valid goal for the League One part-timers.
Killie defender Willie Boyle collided with his keeper, Oliver Davies, as they attempted to clear a long punt upfield. Davies spilled the ball and Ryan Wallace rolled it into the empty net. However, the referee ruled that Wallace had pushed Boyle.
When asked about the decision, Rovers boss Darren Young said: ‘Ryan has done nothing. The guy ran into his own keeper, the ball fell to our guy and he scores. Then the ref gives a foul.’
Clark watched from the stand at the start of the game but after the penalty incident, he headed for the dugout area. However, his closeness to the action failed to galvanise his players.
HAMILTON are through to the last 16 after narrowly defeating Livingston at home.
Accies took the lead in the 22nd minute through Alex D’Acol. The striker hit a powerful shot from 23 yards and it flew past Liam Kelly and into the net.
Livvy levelled three minutes before the interval. Joshua Mullin’s free-kick was met by Sean Crighton whose effort came off the crossbar, rebounded into the body of Accies keeper Remi Matthews and over the line.
Kelly will feel he should have stopped Hamilton’s second. An Ali Crawford free-kick found Louis Longridge at the back post and he drilled home easily.
Hamilton boss Martin Canning said: ‘To top our section is great. I thought we played well in the first half and scored with a great strike from Alex D’Acol.’
INVERNESS Caley Thistle boss Richie Foran was restrained in his reaction after a near clubrecord display destroyed Dick Campbell’s Arbroath.
The Premiership team’s magnificent seven-goal win fell just one short of beating 1998’s 8-1 thrashing of Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup under Steve Paterson.
The victory leaves Dundee United needing to match or better the scoreline at home to Dunfermline today to dislodge Caley Thistle from the top of Group C.
‘I knew we had that kind of performance in us,’ said Foran.
Scott Boden hit a hat-trick, Carl Tremarco bagged a brace, while Billy King and Iain Vigurs also scored.
DUNDEE manager Paul Hartley saw in-demand Greg Stewart star in the wake of Kane Hemmings’ shock departure — then acknowledged he could lose him to England, too.
Stewart, who was watched by an admiring Birmingham City scout, hit a double in this rout against Forfar but it wasn’t enough for the Dark Blues to reach the last 16 of the League Cup.
Striker Hemmings left for Oxford United in a £250,000 transfer earlier this week.
‘When we’ve got good players, there’s always a fear other clubs will come and take them,’ said Hartley. ‘We’d be silly not to want to keep Greg.
‘But players have ambition and there’s not a lot we can do.’
Paul McGowan, Michael Duffy, Julen Etxabeguren, Rory Loy and Yordi Teijsse also found the net.
ROSS COUNTY manager Jim McIntyre was delighted to see a positive reaction from his side’s midweek loss to Alloa as the holders responded to being knocked out of the tournament with a 7-0 rout of Cove Rangers.
McIntyre said: ‘I was delighted with them all because it was important that we produced a response to what was a poor defence of the trophy.
‘I told the players they needed to put a smile back on people’s faces and we took a wee step towards doing that.’
Brian Graham struck a hat-trick, while Alex Schalk and Craig Curran netted doubles for the rampant home side as they ended their campaign on a high against ragged Rangers.