Killie left to wonder ‘what if?’ as Jags snatch draw
ALAN ARCHIBALD praised the character of his side for twice coming back to earn a point at Rugby Park but cursed David A zeez for not securing a last-gasp victory.
Killie had been ahead through Kris Boyd and then Soulemayne Coulibaly but Stevie Lawless and then Liam Lindsay cancelled out these strikes.
In the third minute of stoppage time substitute Azeez was sent through on Jamie MacDonald but made a mess of an attempted lob and the Killie keeper saved.
Archibald said: “I think it was a good point when you are twice behind.
“We s h owe d g re a t character both times to get back into the game but at the same time we missed a one- on- one with 30 seconds to go but there is always that wee bit of what if.”
The bravery of Boyd following the tragic death of his brother Scott has been remarkable and not surprisingly he dedicated his 17th minute goal to the 27-year-old.
It was a typical Boyd goal as he came alive in the box to capitalise on a failed clearance by Liam Lindsay to toe poke a leftfoot shot past Ryan Scully.
He then raised his arms, pointed his index fingers and looked up to the heavens in memory of Scott as he was mobbed by his Killie team-mates.
Thistle should have levelled in 23 minutes when Chris Erskine hit a lovely reverse pass into the path of Kris Doolan .
But he aimed his angled shot too close to Jamie MacDonald who was able to save with his right boot.
However, they found the equaliser 11 minutes later when David Amoo whipped in a low cross from the right and Lawless nipped in front of Scott Boyd to fire home from close range.
Coulibaly, who had been lively all day, put Killie ahead again in 65 minutes, two minutes after Thistle thought they should have had a penalty for Nathan Tyson’ s challenge on Lawless.
Thistle really should have done better to defend Hawkshaw’ s diagonal deep cross from the right as Coulibaly rose brilliantly at the back post to power a great header into the left corner.
However, Thistle grabbed a point seven minutes from time when Liam Lindsay followed up to smash the ball home from only a yard out after Killie failed to deal with Erskine’s free kick.
Killie boss Lee Clark said: “We’re delighted for Kris. He’s had a tough 10 days, and obviously he had the funeral of his younger brother on Thursday.
“I had to keep an eye on him, but he’s responded in the right way and young Scott will be looking down on Kris with a lot of pride.
“Of course there is frustration when you score two goals at home and create numerous chances and you don’t win the game.”
KILM’NOCK
MacDonald 7; Hendrie 5, Burn 6, S Boyd 6, S Smith 6 (M Smith 25 6, Jones 90+1)); Dicker 7, Hawkshaw 7; Frizzell 6 (Tyson 53 6), McKenzie 7, Coulibaly 7; Boyd 7. Not used: Mackay, Boyle, Morrison, Wilson.
THISTLE
Scully 7; Gordon 7, Lindsay 6, Devine 6, Booth 7; Edwards 7, Osman 6; Amoo 6 (Azeez 75 5), Erskine 8 (Elliott 89), Lawless 7; Doolan 6 (Welsh 90+1) Not used: Stuckmann,, Barton, Wilson, McDaid.