Downbeat Wright sees Killie drop into the relegation zone
MOTHERWELL 2
Cole (47), O’Donnell (85)
KILMARNOCK 0
Tommy Wright thought Kilmarnock’s relegation worries were nearly over.
Now it seems he’d settle for making the play-off place.
Killie’s defeat at Motherwell saw them drop back into the secondbottom spot.
Their last two games of the season are at home to St Mirren and away at Hamilton Accies.
The manager has challenged his players to make sure every man in blue and white performs to save the club from going down.
He said: “We came to Fir Park looking for all three points, but we didn’t deserve them.
“I can’t use our Scottish Cup game last Monday as an excuse for looking a bit lethargic.
“It was more a mind-set thing. “I thought two wins from our last three would see us safe.
“If we win the last two then we’ll definitely make the play-off, but it will also give us an outside chance of getting 10th spot.”
The Northern Irishman was a downbeat figure assessed the situation facing the Rugby Park club.
He went on: “This wasn’t a good performance. There are players who can do a lot better
“You need eight or nine players on their game to win a football match and we didn’t have enough.
“There weren’t enough who got pass marks, but there was effort.
“The good thing is that we now have 10 days until out next game.
“They know they’ve put themselves back into a position we’d got ourselves out of a couple of weeks ago.”
If you’re a connoisseur of slidetackles, this was the game for you.
Kyle Lafferty came out with a few and was especially surprising when you consider he watched his team’s midweek Scottish Cup exit against St Mirren while wearing a surgical boot.
He had plenty of running in him, but didn’t pose a real goal threat in the first half.
Jake Hastie looked like a man out to impress before he ends his Fir Park loan spell and returns to Rangers.
The Motherwell winger was in the middle of the penalty area when he headed a cross wide of target.
A betting man would have put his money on Kilmarnock flying out of the blocks after the break and doing their level best to ease their relegation worries. He would have been on to a loser.
It was Motherwell – with nothing but pride to play for – that attacked from the restart and quickly took the lead.
Foley did well to set up a onetwo between Long and Cole, with Cole being the man to sweep the ball home as the away defence dithered.
Hastie had the chance to make it two when he burst down the right wing but his effort hit the side net.
Lafferty then burst into life and conjured up a few efforts on goal – his best a volley that was well saved by Kelly.
Killie seemed caught in a conundrum. They didn’t want to attack too much and be open to an attack on the break.
But they had to push up the field to try and at least earn a point.
Chris Burke added a bit of energy to their attack when he came off the bench and he clipped the bar with a curling shot from 30 yards.
It was all over with five minutes to go when Cole raced into the penalty area and slid the ball across the box for Stephen O’Donnell to calmly stroke it home.
After the jubilation of the Steve Clarke years, it’s amazing that Kilmarnock are now facing the real prospect of being relegated.
Their players still have a chance of preventing that, but you have to wonder if they can take it.