Fair result made to measure

Ron McKay at Rugby Park

Two men who returned from the football wilderness evened a game high on excitement and passion. Peter Leven scored his first senior league goal for Kilmarnock, finding restitution after a knee injury had threatened to write off a promising career, and Dennis Wyness had faith restored in him by his new – and old – manager.

Leven, a former promising Rangers’ youngster, had his cruciate replaced in the US, better than the old one judging by this storming performance, while Wyness had obviously lost confidence and his goal-scoring touch at Hearts. Not that the man who first sold him to the Tynecastle club and then took over the top job there, John Robertson, doubted either. You might call this a double redemption.

A draw was fair, although it did not seem, for most of the game, as if it would be.The wails of injustice must have threatened to strip the paint from the walls in the visiting dressing room at half-time, so clearly had Hearts dominated the half.

It was hardly shaping to be a classic – as early as the 10th minute one man in the stands was loudly demanding a refund – but Hearts were playing the better and more threatening football. They might have scored twice, before they went behind, but for two excellent stops by Scotland’s latest goalkeeping recruit, Alan Combe. He made the saves at opposite posts, one from the shaven-headed Kevin McKenna and one from the left foot of Wyness.

There was, then, little to suggest that the home side – no doubt holding to the axiom that if God had meant football to be played on the ground he wouldn’t have created so much sky – would go ahead in their first real attempt on goal. True, Christophe Berra had made an excellent sliding block to thwart Craig Dargo. But that was it until highly-unlikely occurred and after that, until the end, Killie then looked like a side with self-belief.

Freddy Dindeleux had to be replaced after just 15 minutes with a groin strain, with Peter Leven dropping back to fill his place. The midfielder is a natural attacker, so he motored forward up the left wing, received a beautiful clipped pass from his former midfield companion Gary MacDonald played inside the full-back which he stabbed with his left foot to curl it into the far corner of the net. Not only was this his first league goal for his club, but it was his first in the SPL.

The goal and the arrival of Gary Locke in the midfield stiffened the home side. The game livened considerably after the turnaround, although the quality was sporadic. There was no gainsaying the effort and endeavour both put in. Hearts, in Paul Hartley, had the most impressive-looking player, beautiful touches, awareness to make space and strong runs, but Kilmarnock, in Simon Ford, had the most effective. It really is a mystery that this extremely accomplished player should have drifted from Grimsby to the darknesses of an Essex amateur league. He has pace, he is accomplished and cool – too much so at times, attempting tricks that might work on Hackney Marshes but not the SPL – and he can tackle with measured brutality. Plus he has a body swerve and close control that a midfielder would envy.

He has been a real find for Kilmarnock, who started with two former full-backs in the central defensive positions and two central defenders wide of them. As has Hartley, who seems to have found himself – or, perhaps, encouraged to or ship out by Craig Levein, who brought him to the club – and who brings pace and presence.

Kilmarnock had the chance to tie the game up early in the second half, but it was former Hearts player Allan Johnston who spurned the chance. He was played in by Colin Nish, dithered on the ball before choosing to place it rather than batter it. His body movement did not fool Craig Gordon, who made a sharp save to his left.

Justly, and inevitably in the circumstances, the visitors then motored up the field and scored.

John Robertson had, 10 minutes before, made what turned out to be a crucial double substitution. Mark de Vries, back from injury, and Ramon Pereira combined to create an outstanding goal. De Vries charged forward, slipped an incisive pass between the retreating central defenders for Pereira who ran almost to the bye-line before firing a low cross along the six-yard box for Wyness, sliding in at the post, to make deadly contact.

The game was now wide open, swinging from end to end. The ball bobbled tantalising across the face of Combe’s goal before Leven charged to Nish who fed Danny Invincibile, who had his shot charged down. But any conversion of the might-have-beens would truly have been unfair.

In the end justice did out.

14 November 2004

Taken from the Sunday Herald