Fan collapse curtails Kilmarnock v Hibs SPL game

Kilmarnock and Hibs leave the field after play was abandoned. Picture: SNS

Scorers: Kilmarnock - Boyd (33); Hibernian - Harris (21)

Match abandoned 51 minutes

Referee: K Clancy Attendance: 2,867

The players initially came off the pitch after a spectator in the far stand from the dugouts had required prolonged medical treatment for a suspected heart attack. He was taken out of the ground by ambulance some 15 minutes later, and shortly after that the announcement was made that the game was being called off.

With both teams already well clear of relegation worries there was little to play for in the game, but the first half had been entertaining enough, with Alex Harris opening the scoring before Kris Boyd equalised.

Even before the game, the result had not been the main issue for Hibs manager Pat Fenlon, whose chief concern in these closing league games before the Scottish Cup final against Celtic is who to rest for the odd match.

Last week it was Tim Clancy and Kevin Thomson; this week it was the turn of Jorge Claros and Tom Taiwo. Eoin Doyle and Alan Maybury dropped down to the bench from the team which had drawn 3-3 with St Mirren, while Matt Done and Gary Deegan were back in the starting line-up alongside Clancy and Thomson.

Done had a chance to score in the opening minute when he picked up a loose ball on the right of the box, but he miscued his shot, sending it wide to Leigh Griffiths. The striker failed to control the ball, and put his hands to his face in embarrassment, but he was in an offside position anyway.

Ross Davidson was presented with Kilmarnock’s first scoring chance minutes later, but he was also unable to keep his shot on target.

Chris Johnston did succeed in Kilmarnock’s next attack, but after creating space for himself by cutting inside Clancy he shot softly and straight into the waiting arms of Ben Williams.

The home team looked the more likely at that stage to open the scoring, but it was Hibs who did so midway through the half. A clever pass by Ryan McGivern cut open the defence on the left, and Alex Harris touched it infield before placing a low shot into the far corner.

Undaunted by that setback, Kilmarnock continued to press forward, and came within inches of equalising when Sammy Clingan fired a free kick off the crossbar with Williams beaten. With the game opening up, more goals seemed sure to come, and one duly arrived when Kris Boyd beat James McPake to a long free kick from Cammy Bell over the top of the Hibs defence and sent a low shot from 18 yards into the right-hand corner of the net,

Hibs had opted to make a change by that time, with McGivern, who had briefly required treatment for a knock, being replaced at left-back by Lewis Stevenson. Clancy, Harris and Deegan were all booked between then and half-time as Kilmarnock kept up the pressure. Clingan had another chance on the verge of stoppage time to put his team ahead, but this time his free kick, from almost the same spot as his earlier effort, was turned aside by Williams.

Little of note had happened in the second half when the referee saw medical staff treating a spectator, He called a halt to play shortly afterwards.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Tesselaar, Sissoko, Clingan, McKenzie, Barbour, Winchester, Johnston, Davidson, O’Hara, Boyd. Subs not used: Jaakkola, Hay, Fowler, Sheridan, Heffernan, Perez, Ibrahim.

Hibernian: Williams, Clancy, McPake, Hanlon, McGivern (Stevenson 33), Done, Deegan, Thomson, Handling, Harris, Griffiths. Subs not used: Murdoch, Maybury, Wotherspoon, Robertson, Doyle, Caldwell.