CLARKE STORM
Killie boss facing wrath of would-be SFA employers after referee row
SCOTLAND candidate Steve Clarke last night put himself on a collision course with the SFA after branding Steven McLean’s display in Kilmarnock’s 1-0 home loss to Aberdeen as the worst refereeing performance he has ever seen and demanding the official be banned from all games involving the Rugby Park club.
The 55-year-old opened the door to talks with Hampden chiefs over succeeding Alex McLeish as national team boss on Friday, but now looks likely to be embroiled in another disciplinary hearing with them over his current day job.
Clarke saw his side finish the game with eight men and, although accepting Stuart Findlay’s expulsion for two bookable offences, will appeal the sendingoffs of Kirk Broadfoot and Rory McKenzie.
However, he also looks sure to be carpeted over his remarks after being given a suspended touchline ban for criticising referee Willie Collum and the
ONE thing’s for sure. Steve Clarke will be the talk of the steamie on the sixth floor of Hampden Park now, all right.
It’s maybe not quite his apparent willingness to talk to the Scottish FA about the vacant Scotland manager’s job most likely to be on the agenda, though. Inside the refereeing department, they are more likely to be putting cut-outs of his face on the dartboard.
Clarke effectively branded the national association’s disciplinary procedure corrupt earlier this term and is now demanding Steven McLean, a regular fixture inside Hampden due to his work with refereeing chief John Fleming, is stopped from ever handling a Killie match again after sending off Kirk Broadfoot, Stuart Findlay and Rory McKenzie as the Ayrshire club lost out to a 66th-minute Scott McKenna goal in the race for Europe.
McLean, who flashed eight yellows and three reds in total, was lambasted throughout this one by the home support and there were certainly some real inconsistencies in his display, with Aberdeen fortunate not to see striker Sam Cosgrove and maybe even defender Dom Ball ordered off, too.
It was sheer madness by the end with Clarke marching straight over to McLean at time-up and a mob of fans waiting outside to give him even more abuse.
If nothing else, the afternoon was proof that Clarke is, indeed, turning Rugby Park into a bit of a bearpit. It was also confirmation that good old-fashioned niggle can still make for an entertaining day out when there is next to no football on show.
With just eight minutes on the clock, the controversy that would dominate the day started. Home striker Eamonn Brophy raced off after a long forward ball and was brought down by Mikey Devlin.
Brophy felt he had been denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. McLean evidently believed the other Aberdeen players provided cover, though, and contented himself with flashing his first yellow card of the day. Robbed of the guile and creativity of Gary Mackay-Steven and Niall McGinn, Aberdeen have to find a different way to win. And it isn’t always pleasant to watch.
Cosgrove moaned consistently at McLean, along with a number of his team-mates, over his treatment from the start even though it was him who went into the book on 34 minutes for a foul on Gary Dicker.
A minute later, he was lucky not to be off. Becoming such a liability that he would eventually be substituted at half-time, he tripped Findlay as Killie broke forward to give away a freekick. It could have been a second booking. Instead, McLean let him away with a talking-to.
Within moments, it was Findlay in the book for becoming involved in a shoving match with the striker as Rory McKenzie prepared to take the set-piece. And then came the decision that really did change the face of the encounter.
When McKenzie’s delivery finally arrived in the area, Broadfoot had moved into space to connect with it. His first touch was lacking, though, and left goalkeeper Joe Lewis the favourite to smother it low.
Broadfoot had to go for it. The problem was that the ball had bounced beyond his reach and his attempt to reconnect with it clearly connected with Lewis’ face in a movement that could be defined as dangerous.
‘Broadfoot had a genuine attempt to play the ball,’ argued Clarke. ‘There was no malice. It was two brave players going for the ball. No red card and we will appeal that.’
Despite having the extra man, Aberdeen were struggling to make chances and, given the nature of the game, some kind of set-piece always looked like being the most likely avenue for a goal. So it proved on 66 minutes. Visiting captain Graeme Shinnie delivered a searching corner from the left, McKenna rose highest and his downward header bounced between Daniel Bachmann and Youssouf Mulumbu on the post before rippling the net.
Killie right-back Stephen O’Donnell had a shot deflected wide by substitute Ethan Ross seven minutes later, but the football was quickly swallowed up again by the bedlam. Findlay was sent off for a second bookable offence with five minutes to play for fouling Shinnie as Aberdeen hit on the counter. In stoppage time, McKenzie followed him after a spat with Ball in the centre of the park. They challenged for the ball, the grounded Ball clearly headbutted McKenzie’s knee and McLean dived in to take action after McKenzie reacted with what appeared to be a stamp.
‘The referee wasn’t looking at it, so I can assume it has come from the fourth official (David Dickinson). He was standing next to me and couldn’t see it,’ said Clarke.
‘It was almost nothing, so we will appeal that one as well.
‘Cosgrove had been booked for a foul on Gary Dicker. Just after that, he made a foul on Stuart Findlay. If he hadn’t already been given a yellow, he’d have got a yellow.
‘Then, Findlay and Cosgrove got involved in an argy-bargy at the back post. Findlay got a yellow and Cosgove didn’t. I think if Derek (McInnes) had been the referee, he’d have sent Cosgrove off because he took him off at half-time.’