’Well pick up point in snore draw

Mar 25 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Kilmarnock 0 - 0 Motherwell

“I’M sorry about that guys; we’ll try and do better next time” were Motherwell manager Mark McGhee’s final consoling words to the assembled media after his side played out what surely must have been one of the worst matches of the SPL season on Saturday.

“I’ve nothing to say other than it was poor,” he added.

The consolation for football hacks after witnessing such non-events is the fact they don’t need to pay to view these games.

Sympathy lies firmly at the door of the paying punter.

At least the armchair fan watching on Setanta Sports had the option to switch channels.

And judging by the empty seats in the away end at Rugby Park, many of those of a Motherwell persuasion had planned accordingly as the Steelmen extended their winless streak in front of Setanta cameras to a remarkable 27 games.

At this time of the season, it is all about results and you have to feel that McGhee was being slightly disingenuous when he claimed after the match that he would rather his side had played really well and had lost.

What this result does is keep things as they were. Out of the six SPL games that took place over the weekend, five were draws, with Falkirk’s crucial win at the bottom of the table against Inverness the only positive scoreline.

It means Motherwell now have just three games in which to climb into the top six before the split – beginning with yet another massive game at Fir Park against Aberdeen on Saturday week. Nearest rivals Hibernian entertain Dundee United.

The SPL split has come in for much ridicule over the years but there can be no doubt that this year it will serve up great drama and excitement over the coming weeks.

For one of four clubs - Motherwell, Dundee United, Hibs and Aberdeen - the season will end early as the remaining three fight it out with Hearts for the two available European places that finishing third or fourth in the league provides.

Motherwell did not look like top-six material for much of Saturday’s contest but nevertheless it could prove to be a vital point in their quest to repeat their efforts of last season.

The highlight of the first half was an entertaining altercation between Mark McGhee and some angry home fans who were taking their frustrations - Killie have not won in 2009 - out on the Motherwell boss.

McGhee played down the spat, claiming it was harmless enough, but at the time he did think it serious enough to point out the offender to a police officer stationed beside the visiting dug-out.

On the field, Craig Bryson had made Graeme Smith work with a shot from the edge of the box.

And five minutes from the interval, Cillian Sheridan should have done better with a header from a Stephen Hughes cross.

In the second half, the home fans directed their verbal abuse towards Maros Klimpl, Motherwell’s no-nonsense midfielder.

His play irks the opposition but he has clearly won the affection of the Motherwell faithful.

How else can you explain the waving of three or four Slovakian national flags in the away end whenever Klimpl made one of his customary tackles?

Jim O’Brien shot over the bar just after the break and then Mark Reynolds was lucky to stay on the park after fouling David Fernandez when the attacker seemed to be through on goal.

Certainly, the Spaniard felt the defender should have seen red.

Kilmarnock looked the more threatening side for much of the second half but David Clarkson nearly repeated his supersub exploits of last week when he volleyed over the bar in injury time before the fans were put out their misery by referee Dougie McDonald’s final whistle.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Clancy, Lilley, Ford, Hay, Hamill (Invincibile 76), Bryson, Pascali, Taouil (Skelton 86), Fernandez (Sammon 88), Kyle.

Booked: Lilley, Hamill, Fernandez.

Motherwell: Smith, Quinn, Reynolds, Craigan, Hammell, Hughes, Klimpl (Lasley 85), Brian McLean (Clarkson 64), O'Brien, Sutton, Sheridan (McGarry 72).

Booked: Reynolds, Klimpl.

Attendance: 5434.s

Referee: Dougie McDonald