Motherwell 0 - 0 Kilmarnock: Cavaliers turn stale mates

And they say that lightning doesn’t strike twice. Earlier this season this pair contested a 0-0 draw and the likelihood of a reprise was slim given the scoring exploits and form of the pair in between.

But yet again two of the more cavalier and entertaining sides in the league huffed, puffed, passed and lashed their way through a fruitless encounter as they cancelled each other out. They both sought the positives afterwards, grasping at the fact they had kept a clean sheet (Kilmarnock’s first in eight games) and taken a point from what could have been a defeat. But, once again, it wasn’t the high-scoring thriller many had anticipated.

With neither Old Firm side playing yesterday and both facing tricky matches today, Motherwell went into the match aware that they could not only close the gap between themselves and current league leaders Rangers to just four points but they could extend their advantage over third-placed Celtic to a tidy six points. It was a decent incentive but ultimately not enough to see them get their fourth SPL victory on the bounce. Instead they stay just four points ahead of the Parkhead side, who have two games in hand.

Motherwell’s form this term, losing just three of their first 11 matches, had provoked talk that they could make it to the end of the season as the meat in the middle of the Old Firm sandwich. It was the kind of expectation levels a realistic campaigner such as Stuart McCall is uncomfortable with. He said as much in his programme notes and joked afterwards that they had turned in the below-par performance simply as a way of dousing the flames of expectation.

It was tongue in cheek but, while it wasn’t a conscious move, it will prove a reality check for many. The fact is, it is always the issue of consistency which undermines those who attempt to gatecrash the Old Firm party. With less strength in depth it is always a battle the others are going to lose, with McCall stating that outwith Rangers and Celtic he firmly believed that any of the other SPL teams were capable of beating each other.

Thus far, after two league meetings, neither Motherwell nor Kilmarnock have managed to triumph over the other. But they have proved themselves fairly evenly matched, despite the varying league standings.

Both managers had decided to go into the match with unchanged line-ups, with Kilmarnock looking to build on last week’s performance where they raced to a 3-0 lead over Celtic before they eventually had to settle for a draw.

Brimming with confidence, they were the brighter in the opening spell with Gary Harkins and Paul Heffernan both looking lively. It was the former who tested Motherwell keeper Darren Randolph, but the drive was straight at him. At the other end a Tom Hateley corner was volleyed goalwards by Stephen Craigan but it was blocked and cleared before Jamie Murphy could finish the rebound. Steve Jennings, Steve Hammell and Chris Humphrey then linked up but the winger’s final effort was pushed away from goal by Anssi Jaakkola.

It was Kilmarnock who had the ball in the net, albeit courtesy of an infringement spotted by referee Craig Thomson, who had whistled long before the ball crossed the line after Manuel Pascali have used Craigan’s shoulders for leverage as he jumped to meet a high ball and head it into Randolph’s net. It was a match in which the outfield play was decent without every really catching fire and while Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels thought that much of that was down to them nullifying the creativity in the Motherwell ranks while failing to conjure up goals for themselves, he knows he was lucky not to have conceded in the 54th minute.

While most of the plaudits this term have been reserved for his attacking players, it was his goalkeeper who proved to be the hero yesterday, pulling off a tremendous double save. Looking spritely, he snuffed out the threat posed by Jennings and Michael Higdon, who had combined in the build-up, first parrying the midfielder’s shot before managing to also block the rebound from the Motherwell striker.

But other than that worrying interlude, the visitors were managing to contain their hosts pretty effectively while passing the ball about with confidence. All they needed was a more clinical finish. But, Tim Clancy, up against his former team, was assured and, along with Craigan, gave Heffernan and Harkins little to exploit.

Motherwell accepted that it wasn’t their finest moment but manager McCall was happy with the industry, stating that a point against a team earning rave reviews and who had scored three against Celtic last week was not to be sniffed at. From Shiels’ point of view, it was another assured display. Having now played the three top teams in recent weeks, they have managed two draws. It does not garner too many points though and that is the worry for the Rugby Park side. They have thrilled and entertained but to keep moving up the league table they need to start winning more.

But Shiels insists he still has the belief they can do that and most who have seen them this season would attest to that. In the past, they have leaked goals while netting them at the other end. Yesterday, they tightened up at the back but drew a blank up front. Motherwell have already demonstrated the heights they can attain on their best days. Now, though, the expectations are more realistic.