Kilmarnock 2 Hibernian 1

August 16th 2000
Scottish League Cup
Attendance: 7,819

Scorers:
Hibernian: Latapy.
Kilmarnock: McLaren, Dargo

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotsman on Thursday 1st November 2000

Latapy’s early strike brings out best in Kilmarnock

TWO goals in the second half of a dramatic and evenly-contested League Cup quarter-final last night gave Kilmarnock a 2-1 victory over Hibs, at a rain-soaked Rugby Park. The teams emerged drenched, soiled and bruised from a contest that will give both managers new injury concerns in the mission to maintain their hard-earned positions in the top three of the SPL.

But it is Kilmarnock who remain in this under-valued competition, after Andy MCLaren and substitute Craig Dargo struck in the second half to cancel out a Russell Latapy effort in the first minute.

Hibs were clearly suffering from the effects of last Saturday’s physical league encounter with Dundee United - as well as the energetic preceding victories over Rangers and Hearts - with Franck Sauzee and David Zitelli missing from the line-up. In their place came Lyndon Andrews and Martin McIntosh, for rare opportunities to impress onlookers.

Kilmarnock fielded the same XI who conquered Rangers so emphatically at the weekend, but before you could say CIS Insurance, they went a goal down in astonishingly-simple fashion. Latapy received the ball from a throw-in 40 yards out, and sprinted towards the penalty-box, shrugging off the challenge of the usually-reliable Freddie Dindeleux to find himself one-on-one with Gordon Marshall. The Trinidadian feigned right and went left, and the Kilmarnock goalkeeper lay helpless as Latapy consolidated, waited as a despairing defender lunged in to try to block the shot, and tapped it into the

corner of the net like a gloating schoolboy.

It was the kind of goal that is almost impossible for a manager to explain, but with Bobby Williamson pondering over the reverse from in the stand, his side raged forward and Ian Durrant tested Nick Colgan with a stinging shot from distance, before Andy McLaren was denied from close range by Colgan. That prompted a call of "come on, Steve McLaren" from a fan who clearly had other football matters on his mind.

Despite the incessant downpour, it was a frantic game from two teams clearly without any delusions of grandeur about gracing this competition. And the typically-dogmatic style of referee Hugh Dallas played its part in intensifying the atmosphere, giving four decisions against Kilmarnock which had the home crowd baying for his head, and Alan Mahood shaking his own after being cautioned for protesting.

Dallas’s unwillingness to call a halt to play almost made him even more of a scapegoat for the home fans’ rage when Mixu Paatelainen clearly bundled over Dindeleux on the edge of the box, and Dallas failed to act. Andrews almost capitalised, just beating Chris Innes to the ball and poking it into the midriff of the onrushing Marshall to prevent a riot.

It may not be this cold when it rains in the Caribbean, but Latapy and his countryman Andrews seemed to be revelling in it all, the former threatening to twist his way to goal once again before Innes wrapped his arm around the little man’s neck to stall his progress.

But it was Kilmarnock who gained the upper hand for much of the first half, with the midfield quartet of Durrant, Gary Holt, Ally Mitchell and Mahood resuming the display of telepathy that they had initiated on Saturday at Ibrox.

The second half began precisely as the first had, with a goal almost immediately after kick-off. Christophe Cocard - who had hitherto been relatively quiet - set up Kilmarnock’s equaliser, sprinting down the left and whipping the ball in for McLaren, who nipped in front of Gary Smith to beat Colgan at the near post with the outside of his foot.

But Kilmarnock were dealt a blow, literally, in the 55th minute when Holt, racing full-pace to profit from a quick kick-out from Marshall, collided with the sturdy frame of McIntosh. The Scotland squad member was stretchered off, and the striker Dargo took his place.

Although playing second-fiddle, Hibs raced forward at every opportunity, and Latapy created a fine opening for John O’Neil on the left. But the midfielder who is being touted for international recognition did little to state his case, and Gus Macpherson - the only player on the field wearing gloves- inherited possession by simply standing his ground.

The same combination failed again for Hibs soon afterwards when Latapy hesitated in feeding O'Neil for what would have been a simple chance, and the latter strayed offside when Latapy's deflected ball came over.

Kilmarnock’s neat passing in midfield was becoming more and more hazardous as their control of the ball slipped, and they began to look highly vulnerable whenever Hibs seized possession.

Another casualty on a night of treacherous conditions was Paul Fenwick, who suffered a suspected broken nose on Saturday and was carried off with another blow to the head with 20 minutes to go.

It was then that Kilmarnock took the lead in near-farcical circumstances. A punt from Marshall found its way to McPherson on the right of the half-way line, and the full-back sent in an up-and-under that he would probably suggest was a masterstroke in the driving rain. His antiquated style paid a rich dividend, as the Hibs defence made an appalling mess of judging the flight of the ball, and as it bounced up Dargo sprinted in to stab home.

Dirk Lehmann missed an extraordinary chance in injury time, placing his shot directly at Marshall.

The Teams:

Hibernian:
Colgan, Laursen, McIntosh, Lovell, Paatelainen (Lehmann 75), Latapy, O'Neil, Fenwick (Collins 71), Andrews, G Smith, Jack.

Kilmarnock:
Marshall, Macpherson, Cocard (Wright 88), Holt (Dargo 55), Durrant, Mitchell, Mahood, Dindeleux, McLaren, Innes, Hay.

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