KILLIE PUT TEN MEN QUEENS TO THE SWORD
PAUL Heffernan's hat-trick was the highlight of this stroll in the Rugby Park for Kilmarnock, who emphasised the gap between the SPL and SFL First Division to move into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Communities League Cup.
Gary Harkins, with the help of an outrageous deflection off Craig Reid's heel, gave Killie the luxury of a second-minute opener and thereafter the home side passed Queens off the park. Doonhamers' keeper Lee Robinson kept his side in the game with a
couple of great saves but once visiting centre forward Kevin Smith stupidly got himself sent off just after the half hour - for a blatant elbow in the face of Leon Panikvar - it was a case of how many?
The second goal came just before the break, Heffernan diving in to glance home Dean Shiels' low cross, and it was three on the hour mark. Gary Fisher tried a long-range shot at the end of a multi-pass move, his effort was half-blocked but the ball spun down in front of Heffernan, 12 yards out, and he gratefully fired home.
Ten minutes later he completed his hat-trick, after another sweet move, with manager's son Shiels again the provider.
Killie turned the screw one more time in 75 minutes, with substitute Ben Hutchinson, only on the park five mintues, getting another well-worked goal.
Queens were seldom seen as an attacking force but there was a brief moment of hope just two minutes into the second half when Nicky Clark bent a free kick round the Killie wall but Cammy Bell, himself a native Doonhamer, dived to his left to punch away the net-bound shot.
Of course, Killie will find things an awful lot harder when they return to league business, but they will surely take great confidence from this match. Some of their passing and movement was first-class, while skipper Manuel Pascali's 60-yard cross-field pass to the overlapping Garry Hay early in the second half was just about the best piece of individual skill on a night on which the home team really turned it on.
For visiting manager Gus MacPherson, not the outcome he wanted on his return to the ground where he is a legend as a member of the 1997 Scottish Cup-winning team. On this form, hopes of another cup final appearance are far from far-fetched down Ayrshire way.
Ten minutes later he completed his hat-trick, after another sweet move, with manager's son Shiels again the provider.
Killie turned the screw one more time in 75 minutes, with substitute Ben Hutchinson, only on the park five mintues, getting another well-worked goal.
Queens were seldom seen as an attacking force but there was a brief moment of hope just two minutes into the second half when Nicky Clark bent a free kick round the Killie wall but Cammy Bell, himself a native Doonhamer, dived to his left to punch away the net-bound shot.
Of course, Killie will find things an awful lot harder when they return to league business, but they will surely take great confidence from this match. Some of their passing and movement was first-class, while skipper Manuel Pascali's 60-yard cross-field pass to the overlapping Garry Hay early in the second half was just about the best piece of individual skill on a night on which the home team really turned it on.
For visiting manager Gus MacPherson, not the outcome he wanted on his return to the ground where he is a legend as a member of the 1997 Scottish Cup-winning team. On this form, hopes of another cup final appearance are far from far-fetched down Ayrshire way.