THE chances of Killie not finishing in second bottom slot in the SPL look remote, following the loss of a last-minute goal at Paisley.
Will Haining was the Saints hero, throwing himself at an Andy Dorman cross to head the ball past Alan Combe to give his side their first victory over Killie in 11 attempts.
It was a game neither side deserved to win, for with little to play for but pride, the game failed to entertain the fans who had bothered to turn out for this meaningless fixture.
Dorman had the first attempt on goal when he got on the end of a Gary Mason cross, but his weak effort was easily saved by Combe.
Killie’s best opportunity in the opening spell fell to Jamie Hamill when he latched on to a dodgy clearance from David Barron 14 yards from goal, but the delay as he switched the ball to his right foot allowed John Potter time to recover and block his effort,
Billy Mehmet then tested Combe with a powerful shot which the keeper did well to hold on to.
And Combe was soon in action again when veteran Jim Hamilton’s mis-hit shot from about 12 yards was scrambled round the post by the Killie goalkeeper for a corner.
With two out of the last three clashes between the sides ending goalless, the chances of this latest meeting producing a goal glut was slim, and even when a decent opportunity presented itself the players were found wanting.
This was amply illustrated just before the break when Grant Murray wasted a decent opportunity to put Killie ahead.
The defender was only a couple of feet from the goal-line as he met David Lilley’s flick on from a David Fernandez corner, but he failed to score with a point-blank header, with Buddies keeper Mark Howard pushing the ball on to the bar.
To be fair, the standard of play improved after the break, with ex-Killie striker Craig Dargo bringing another decent save from Combe.
Danny Invincibile then got into the act at the other end, with Howard bringing out a top quality save to thwart the Australian.
The introduction of Mehdi Taouil after the break for youngster lain Flannigan gave Killie more creativity in midfield, but even the Moroccan’s craft couldn’t prise open a solid Saints defence.
It was the home side who almost made the breakthrough in the dying minutes when Potter unleashed a powerful volley from near the edge of the penalty box, but again Combe was the Killie saviour with another super save.
Then came the heartbreak for Killie in the final minute when Haining stole in to net the late winner for the Paisley side.
It seems that the close season can’t come quickly enough for the long-suffering Killie fans, but it ain’t quite yet over, with two remaining fixtures to play in what has been a desperately disappointing campaign.
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