Kilmarnock 0 - 0 St Johnstone: Towsy game produces red cards but no goals

KENNY Shiels took a swipe at Kilmarnock’s sceptics despite the goalless draw against St Johnstone on Saturday which he felt ended their hopes of a top-six finish.

After a match which saw the Kilmarnock manager’s son, Dean Shiels, and Saints striker, Cillian Sheridan, both sent off for simulation, the Ayrshire club found themselves in eighth place, four points behind sixth-placed Dundee United who play Inverness tonight.

The Northern Irishman all but wrote off a top-half finish for his team then rounded on pundits who had predicted relegation. “It has been a fantastic attempt by us to be equal seventh (with Aberdeen) after almost 30 games when, at the beginning of the season, 18 journalists had Kilmarnock for relegation and 14 had Dunfermline,” said Shiels.

“I appreciate those views and opinions because at that time you understood that we were rebuilding and we had lost 18 players from January the previous season. So if we are realistic, we have done really, really well.”

To back up his argument, Shiels stressed the difference in budgets between his club and St Johnstone, who remain in fourth place and on course for a European spot.

He said: “Their investments have been for the top six and fair play to them. They have fantastic players at St Johnstone, look at their front two, (Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza) they are top quality. They have an absolutely top- class squad and a really good manager. I have so much regard for Derek McInnes (former manager) and Steve Lomas, they have done fantastic.

“That’s what we are up against but when the pitches change you will see us play better. It has been very difficult for us, we need a good surface.”

It was a difficult day for rookie SPL referee Craig Charleston, who, according to Shiels, got both red cards wrong. Shiels junior picked up his first yellow card just before the break for his challenge on Saints keeper Allan Mannus, who had just saved his penalty, although it looked like he had every right to go for the loose ball.

The former Hibernian player was dismissed in the 75th minute after Charleston ruled he had been guilty of diving as he went past Saints stand-in skipper Dave Mackay. Two minutes later Sheridan, who had been booked earlier for kicking the ball away in petulance, also saw red for allegedly going down too easily in a challenge by Killie midfielder Liam Kelly inside the box

Mackay, who denied touching Shiels, played down the prospect of European football at McDiarmid Park next season. “There are going to be twists and turns until the end of the season” he said. “We just have to concentrate on ourselves.

“It looks like Motherwell have tied up third place but Dundee United are going really well and Hearts got a great result against Rangers. But hopefully we will be in the mix for a European place after the split.”