Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park
A goal in each half gave Kilmarnock a vital three points, although a daft penalty given away in the 88th minute caused the home support a nervous last 5 minutes, as Mr McCurry added three minutes extra time to the game. On the other hand, if sponsors' man-of-the-match Colin Nish found those boots under the Christmas tree yesterday morning, then the big man should definitely keep them. He scored the first goal, made the second, and generally ran the Hibs defence ragged, firstly through the middle, and then in the second half as a left wing-back of sparkling talent.
Killie started the faster and stronger, and within a minute Makalambay was pushing a Taouil volley round the post, then three minutes later watching anxiously as a Garry Hay free kick skimmed the top of his cross bar. Alan Combe had to look sharp at the other end to dive out and stop a Clayton Donaldson cross from fizzing across his box, but when Killie took the lead after 34 minutes, the goal was a joy to watch. Gary Wales sent Jamie Hamill scampering down the right wing, and when he sent over a teasing cross, Colin Nish got across in front of the keeper to give the ball the gentlest nick with his head to send it inside Makalambay, off the back post, along the line and off the near post, and nestle cosily in the net.
Shiels came on for Noubissie at the break, and not unexpectedly, Hibs tried to apply some pressure. A mixture of Killie's pressing and harrying though, and some wayward final balls, meant it was still Kilmarnock looking the more dangerous. Nish nutmegged Jones and had a decent shot saved, a Taouil to Fernandez to Nish move was adjudged offside as Nish was about to shoot, and a spectacular Taouil overhead kick from a Hamill free kick was well saved by Makalambay. In 74 minutes, Killie got the goal they deserved, and this time Nish was the provider. By now he was playing wide on the left, and when he collected a ball and made for the bye line, the danger signals were there. With exquisite skill he turned the Hibs defence inside out; and then he did it again; and again; and as the management team in the dug-out were going nuts, he lobbed an inch-perfect pass to Mehdi Taouil at the back of the box, for the Moroccan to volley in his first goal for Kilmarnock.
With a couple of minutes left and the game comfortably won, some sloppy defending left Alan Combe exposed at the back, and when he dived out to block a Dean Shiels attempt, the substitute went down, and Mr McCurry pointed to the spot. Shiels took the spot kick himself, scored, and caused Killie a nervous few minutes, but the points were safe.
Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Hay, Ford, Nish, Wales, Fernandez (Koudou), O'Leary, Hamill, Bryson (Locke), Taouil (Johnston)
Hibernian: Makalambay, McCann (Gathuessi), Stevenson, Hogg, Jones, Kerr, Zemmama (O'Brien), Noubissie (Shiels), Chisholm, Beuzelin, Donaldson
Referee: Mike McCurry
