Words speak more loudly than actions

Chris Tait
Monday 22 April 2013

KILMARNOCK made a rod for their own back when they failed to retain a place in the top half of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League earlier this month, although that is perhaps not the first place supporters thought of putting it on Saturday.

It is an unsavoury image but one which seems fitting, since their fans see little that is attractive about the club sitting pretty in seventh place; the final games of the season having been blemished by a failed ambition. That there are still four to go does not make that any easier on the eye.

The club opened their post-split schedule with defeat by Hearts, a result which left the Kilmarnock players exposed to a degree of barracking from the stands. If supporters are to suffer a meek end to the campaign, then they are not about to do it in silence.

Such jeers will be quelled should their side win their final matches of the season, of course – with games against Hibernian and St Mirren still to come at home – but the supporters' discontent still resonated with Kenny Shiels on Saturday. The Kilmarnock manager will know his players gave him little ammunition with which to fire back after an unsettled performance, so he responded positively by claiming that dissatisfaction with their loss proved his side had made progress by raising expectations, even though a win would not have affected the club's position.

League reconstruction is intended to rid the season of such "meaningless games", although that term is flawed since supporters will find value in any fixture. Fans will also appreciate signs that players share their feelings. Kilmarnock were certainly piqued by the decision to award Hearts a penalty in the second half, and James Fowler later sought to shoo Jamie Walker off the pitch after the visiting winger dawdled as he was substituted. Fowler was given an earful by Gary Locke, the Hearts manager, for his trouble. "I think he used a wee sweary word, so I might report him to the SFA," said the Kilmarnock midfielder, wryly.

Such agitation was belated, though, and Shiels may be given pause since performances have become bland of late. This was a second straight home defeat by a club lower in the table but, more pressingly, Kilmarnock have won just twice in their last 10 matches. There always seemed a risk that players would lose focus once the top six was out of sight and the challenge now must be to find incentive somewhere in the lower half.

Hearts have theirs in a derby with Hibernian next month – with the two clubs level on points at the moment, albeit with Hibs in action tonight. Finishing above their rivals would bring only artificial success, of course, although that is still something which would be hard to begrudge Hearts' habitually impressive younger players.

Other than getting up Fowler's nose, Walker was an irksome presence on Saturday, while Jason Holt has emerged as one of the most engaging talents in the top flight. It has almost become a matter of routine to refer to the impact on any given game made by the callow players in this Hearts squad – Kevin McHattie was also quietly impressive against Kilmarnock on Saturday – although their influence has extended beyond the confines of the pitch, too.

"They have brought a real lift to the club," said John Sutton, who scored Hearts' goal. "They have shown real ambition in the way we're playing."

Taken from the Herald