SCOTTISH CUP SPECIAL

All the reaction from a day of debuts, shocks and high drama

KILMARNOCK manager Steve Clarke is adamant there is an unpleasant whiff surrounding Greg Stewart’s loan switch to Aberdeen. In fact, Clarke reckons it’s ‘bullsh*t’.

The Rugby Park club have not had much to complain about this season, with them riding high in the Premiership and progressing to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, following yesterday’s victory over Forfar Athletic.

However, Stewart’s switch to Pittodrie has clearly hit a nerve.

Clarke was keen to bring the striker, who has scored eight goals for Killie this season, back to the club for the second half of the campaign after he was recalled by Birmingham City.

But rather than head back to Ayrshire, Stewart has gone to Aberdeen where he had an uneventful loan spell last season.

Clarke reckons there is a funny smell about the move, saying: ‘I only want to talk about players who are committed to Kilmarnock and want to play for us.

‘If I am honest, the whole deal had a slightly strange smell right from the start, but that happens in football. So we’ll move on and I’ll work with players who want to be here and, hopefully, they do just as well in the second half of the season.’

Asked what he meant by a strange smell, Clarke clarified: ‘Bullsh*t.

‘I am not talking about the player here. It’s not the player. It’s the deal. But the deal is private and what happens when you speak with other clubs stays private.

‘You can work it out. Look at the deal.’

Forfar had their moments at Rugby Park but Killie produced a professional display to see off the League One side.

Stuart Findlay fired them ahead with a sensational volley from just inside the penalty area after 19 minutes. Flicking the ball up after a pass from Greg Kiltie, he unleashed a shot that flew past goalkeeper Marc McCallum.

It took Kilmarnock until 12 minutes from time to wrap up the tie when their substitutes combined as Mikael Ndjoli set up Chris Burke and the veteran attacker slid in to turn it home.

Forfar manager Jim Weir said: ‘Kilmarnock are a great side, one point off the top of the Premiership, so I wanted to make sure the players and the club left here with a lot of respect. I think we did that. We gave a good account of ourselves.’