Kilmarnock beat St Johnstone despite playing without a recognised goalkeeper
Kilmarnock battled back from a goal down to beat St Johnstone 2-1 despite playing without a recognised goalkeeper, leaving coach Michael McDougall delighted with their fighting spirit.
The hosts at Grange Academy were missing Lauren McGregor after she was forced to self-isolate due to Covid-19, and then Kirsty MacDonald - who had deputised in goal - was forced off injured after just six minutes.
Striker Rebecca Galt had to get the gloves on, but although Ellie Cowie gave the visitors the lead, Shelley Campbell and Abby Robinson hit the net to make it three wins from three for the Ayrshire side.
“We really stopped them from creating much,” McDougall told Anyone’s Game.
“Apart from their goal, Rebecca didn’t have to make any saves and I think that is a real credit to the defence in front of her.”
He added: “We’ve played six games in the past three and a half weeks and picked up 13 points, which is four points more than we had before the season restarted.
“Credit to them. It’s down to them. They work so hard for each other. You see it on the pitch now. They are fighting for each other. If one person loses the ball, somebody else is going and backing them up.
“We don’t have a team of individuals at the moment. We’ve got a proper team and it’s something we are all really proud of. Before Christmas we might’ve put our heads down going behind but that just shows the change in the attitude here.”
It was a very positive start for the home side. Campbell struck the crossbar with a free-kick then Lisa Swanson fired a glancing header on target.
Cowie up front for St Johnstone was an isolated figure for the most part of the half, where she was reduced to long range efforts. Instead, Killie dominated the bulk of possession but they just couldn't get that elusive first goal despite restricting the Saints to very little.
But the visitors broke the deadlock within minutes of the restart after taking advantage of Killie failing to clear their lines from a corner, with Cowie finishing.
It was all square though on 56 minutes when Campbell pounced quickest to fire home after a scramble in the box from a Lauryn Reside corner.
Reside and Swanson linked up superbly minutes later but the Saints ‘keeper was equal to the ex-Rangers forward, who was free in the box with the goal at her mercy.
St Johnstone had a penalty appeal waved away for handball, and with 10 minutes left they fell behind.
Robinson fired high into the net after a beautiful ball from Reside.
Reside could have added a third but fired over when one on one with the goalkeeper, but the home side did enough to move level on points with fifth-place St Johnstone with one game left.
Anyone’s Game Player of the Match
Abby Robinson in the Killie midfield was absolutely outstanding in this match. She scored the winning goal with a strike that the world's top players would be proud of. She struck the ball first time as it came to her and found the net. Credit has to go to Lauryn Reside too who was involved in the making of both goals for her side.
She also worked tirelessly to win the ball back at every opportunity and gave the St Johnstone players no time on the ball. This was one of the key reasons why temporary goalkeeper Rebecca Galt was so quiet, the goal aside.
