| Report Index--> 2006-07--> All for 20061230 | ||||
| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 30 Dec 2006 Kilmarnock 0 Hearts 0 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | Martin Greig | auth-> | Douglas McDonald |
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| 9 | of 010 | ----- | L SPL | A |
Kilmarnock 0 - 0 HeartsMARTIN GREIG at Rugby Park January 01 2007 Steven Naismith will approach the opening of another transfer window with an admirable mixture of contentment and ambition. The 20-year-old Scottish Young Player of the Year has never disguised the fact he sees life beyond Rugby Park. A dander around Arsenal's plush training facilities at the tail-end of the last window offered him a tantalising glimpse of life at a higher level. However, if the covetous glances from an ever-growing list of admirers fail to materialise into a suitable offer, then Naismith will remain unperturbed. "Everybody knows that Kilmarnock is not the type of club who are going to reject a big offer," he reflected. "Any offer that comes in they are going to need to look at and decide what is best for the club. If they accept an offer then we'll see, but if they don't then I'd be happy to stay." In the last 12 months, Naismith has grown impressively into his role as Scottish football's brightest young prospect. He won the Scottish Young Player of the Year Award by a country mile at the end of last season and has continued his progress this campaign. At this stage last year, he had scored four goals. Twelve months later, he has netted nine times. He openly admitted that his form dipped after his trip to Arsenal, but he has come again over the last month. An unassuming sort, he is nevertheless quick to highlight his return to goal-scoring form. "I've scored four in my last three games and I think I've done all right. Again today, it wasn't a game for pretty football but I think I battled well. Hopefully you guys will give me a nine [out of 10] in the paper and I can keep my run going," he laughed. It is his battling qualities which have marked him out as a rising star of genuine substance. His own form may have slumped at times this season, but Naismith has played his way through the lean patch while continuing to contribute to the team. On Saturday against Hearts, he was his usual effervescent self, although he failed to take a gilt-edged chance at the start of the second half, which clipped the bar. Ironically, it was one of Kilmarnock's unheralded performers who was the subject of transfer speculation over the weekend, a report suggesting that Celtic were keeping tabs on holding midfielder James Fowler. "I said to him that it was Farsley Celtic," chuckled Jim Jefferies, the Kilmarnock manager. "I don't know anything about that, but I'm not surprised other clubs are looking at him. He doesn't get the plaudits he deserves. He is so consistent and covered Paul Hartley all over the pitch today." This proved one of those games in which both teams could have played on all night and still not have put the ball in the net. Not that there weren't chances created; A flurry of them came and went in the second half, but poor finishing ensured a goalless stalemate. "We were both committed to trying to score rather than cancelling each other out," added Jefferies. Gary Wales and Allan Johnston both had chances to seal victory for the home side in the closing stages, though it would have been harsh on Hearts who contributed hugely to an entertaining second half, in particular. Roman Bednar was prime culprit after ballooning a superb chance over the bar, but added to the list were Andrius Velicka, Takis Fyssas and Christophe Berra, all of whom should have found the net.  Taken from the Herald |
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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 30 Dec 2006 Kilmarnock 0 Hearts 0 | Team-> | Page-> |
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