A much changed Motherwell team lined up in the bright sunshine at Rugby Park. Debate in the away stand the three changes listed in the team sheet posed enough of a question but McCall’s tactics board had to be altered when Jeffers’ injury in the warm up produced a late, late call-up for Murphy.
After a scrappy first ten minutes we had to change again when Saunders was carried off. Forbes came on to join Humphrey, Jeffers and Gunning in midfield while Hateley retreated to right back alongside Hutchison, Craigan and Page.
We took the lead after 15 minutes following a blistering forty yard run from Humphrey down the right wing. He left two trailing in his wake and crossed low into the six yard box and Sutton’s deft touch beat Jaakkola. It should have been the pefect confidence booster given the unsettled start.
The lead lasted less than ten minutes. We conceded a careless corner and were lucky to avoid a goal when the ball bounced freely across the box. We failed to clear and Eremenko delivered a chip that Pascali headed home.
The referee (Mike Tumilty) had already lost the respect of the travelling support for his seemingly one sided approach to the game, by the break four Motherwell players were in his book in a game that hardly had a serious foul. But he reached a new low when he awarded Killie the softest of penalties just before half time. Hamill made no mistake from the spot.
Worse was to follow. Ten minutes into the second period we lost or third goal following a set piece. A corner was missed by Randolph and Kelly got his head to the ball. We were 3-1 down and looking like a beaten team.
Jones came on for Page and we hung on. Few in claret and amber rated pass marks for their efforts. Without Hammell, Lasley and Jeffers the thin nature of our squad was all too evident. Killie were flowing through our midfield and only some heroics from Randolph and some poor finishing kept the score respectable.
Forbes suffered the ignominy of being replaced by Casagolda in the last quarter but little changed.