A Wet Weekend in Ayrshire (Part Two)
After yesterday’s drenching at Ayr United, it was refreshing to pull back the curtains and see brilliant blue skies and a hot sun beating through the window.
Just kidding… it rained all day, Sunday!
With the match not starting until 3 pm and no travelling needed to get to the game, I decided it would be a good time to finish the Mark Hunt autobiography I had started last night. I can’t remember the last time I finished a book within 24 hours! This ate up most of the boring time waiting around for action. Meanwhile, Mrs Hopper had been taking the time to knit herself a new hoodie.
By the time 1:30 pm came around, we were ready to set off on the walk to Rugby Park stadium. This entailed walking along the A759 for the bulk of the walk before tuning right into Dundonald Road. A total of about one mile and Rugby Park is ahead of us to the right.
The first thing we saw as we headed along Dundonald Road were four mounted police horses. With the Park Hotel opposite the stadium, I couldn’t help wondering if these were the Four Horsemen of the Park-alypse.
I’m sorry!
Kilmarnock – The Stadium
Rugby Park is located directly across the road from the Park Hotel you can see in the photograph above. A large open space with a few cars parked on it separates the road from the Moffatt Stand at the southern end of the stadium.
The brick wall you can see contains a Hall of Fame on the left-hand side. I can’t help thinking this should be called a Wall of Fame, though. A great idea that commemorates important teams, players and staff from over the years.
One of the great things about Hopping around the grounds is that you pick up lots of things that clubs do well. Of course, there are things that clubs don’t do well, too. The Hall of Fame is one of those ideas that it would be nice to see more clubs pick up on and implement.
Once around the corner of the wall, you come across more memories, in the form of a Memorial Garden. Beyond this, you get a glimpse of the side of the Main Stand, or Frank Beattie Stand, and the 1869 Suite, named after the year of the club’s founding. This means Killie in 1901, had already been around for thirty-two years when Queen Victoria passed away!
I should point out here that Kilmarnock is the second oldest football club in Scotland – yesterday’s opposition at Ayr United, Queen’s Park, being the oldest.
Among other things of interest in Kilmarnock’s storied history, they were founding members of the original Scottish Football Association along with seven other clubs. They participated in the very first Scottish Cup game (they lost 2-0 to Renton). They are three-time winners of the Scottish Cup and have won the top-tier league title once, in 1964/65.
Moving on, the Frank Beattie Stand houses the club shop and the entrance for players and officials. My eye was drawn to an interesting vehicle parked up outside the stand, not too far from the Hearts team coach. A monster truck with Kilmarnock-design bodywork. A mighty fine-looking vehicle it was too!
We went into the club shop and bought a pin badge and programme. The lady behind the counter was kind enough to give us a plastic bag to put the programme in to avoid yesterday’s water damage disaster.
There was little else to see by walking further around the ground other than a small but nice-looking mural at the other end of the Frank Beattie Stand.
Kilmarnock – Outer Stadium Gallery
We headed to the turnstile with the tickets we had bought online from the Kilmarnock website. For the masochists amongst you who regularly read my reviews, you may remember we had problems with our online tickets at Doncaster. The same thing happened again here.
We presented our print-at-home tickets to the turnstile operator to be scanned, only to have them returned to us and be told that they “have already been scanned”. Well, that’s not the case unless there are duplicates out there somewhere. We headed for the ticket office back near the memorial garden and told them the problem. The lady adjusted something on the computer and said “If they don’t work now, tell them that their scanner needs updating”.
Ok!
Back to the turnstile we go, with the exact same tickets as before and this time, the scan was successful.
Woohoo!
Once inside the ground, we went up the flights of steps and into the upper tier of the stand. From here I took a few photos of Rugby Park’s interior and while it is a relatively modern arena, it does retain some character. Each stand is a separate structure.
To our left was the Chadwick Stand. This is the designated away end that would be housing the Hearts fans. Opposite us, was the East Stand, which contains a small section of safe standing (158 rail seats) in the upper tier of the two-tiered stand. To the right, the Moffatt Stand also contains a small standing section (166 rail seats).
Presumably, the safe standing areas are an attempt to try and encourage a little atmosphere in the stadium, or maybe they are just an experiment that may be expanded if successful. Either way, the section in the East Stand seemed to be the one where the more vocal Killie fans would be gathered.
EDIT: I found this article on the Kilmarnock website that suggests the safe-standing areas were introduced in 2019 as part of an initiative designed to encourage the atmosphere at Rugby Park.
The playing surface at Kilmarnock is another example of the artificial pitches that seem very popular north of the border these days.
Kilmarnock – Stadium Gallery
With photographs and video taken, it was time to head back into the concourse and test this theory that Kilmarnock produces some of the best pies in Scottish football. Spoiler alert, they do!
Unlike pies I have tried elsewhere, these were not likely to blister your tongue straight out of the microwave and they were full of meat. I can happily recommend a Kilmarnock pie to anyone who ventures off to Rugby Park.
By now, it was clear that Hearts would have a decent-sized following as the Chadwick End started filling. I believe the matchday announcer said there were 1,541 Hearts fans but I may have misheard the figure slightly. It sounds about right though, in an attendance of 6,651.
The rain continued to fall as the cheerleaders waited for the teams to enter and the Killie mascot, Captain Conker, prowled around the sideline looking like a cross between Secret Squirrel and Andy Pandy (one for the older readers, there).
The players entered the field and we could finally get down to business. Going into this match, it was anybody’s game to win. Hearts may be the higher-placed team but they were missing a few key players, particularly in defence and Killie fans had hopes of winning this game against one of the bigger teams in the SPL, despite their poor start to the season.
Kilmarnock – The Game
The visitors kicked off the game and it wasn’t long before they created the first chance of the game, and what a chance it was!
A lofted pass down the right flank found Lawrence Shankland who crossed the ball low across the box, where Barrie McKay somehow managed to fire his shot over the bar from just six yards out. That should have been the opening goal and McKay would have been kicking himself for missing such a sitter with the form he has been in this season.
Stephen Humphrys should have done better than to put his close-range header into the grateful arms of Zach Hemming in the Kilmarnock goal, as Hearts threatened again moments later. In the real-time play, he had looked offside to me but play went on, regardless.
The next chance came for the home side when a lovely ball from Jordan Jones was headed just wide by Danny Armstrong. Armstrong was again involved when he set up Blair Alston from the right-hand side but his shot was easy for Scottish international keeper, Craig Gordon to gather.
Another chance went begging as the ball was cut back for Alan Power as he raced into the box. His shot was blocked well by Alex Cochrane for a corner. In the 43rd minute, Jones was unlucky to see his curling effort go just wide of the post as he shot from the opposite edge of the area.
As the half drew to a close, there were appeals for a red card from Kilmarnock players and fans. As Alston burst through one-on-one with Craig Gordon. It looked as if he was pulled back by Alex Cochrane before getting his shot away. Referee Matthew MacDermid was having none of it and waved away the protests from fans and players alike.
Hearts may have started the better team but by the end of the half, Killie had had the better of things and were unlucky not to be ahead at the break.
Half-time – Kilmarnock 0 Hearts 0
Despite the scoreline, the first half had been a very entertaining forty-five minutes of action. It was clear that Hearts’ missing defenders were making them vulnerable, while at the other end, they had missed some clear-cut chances to take the lead. McKay being the chief culprit with the sitter he missed in the first couple of minutes.
It would be interesting to see if any adjustments were made by Hearts manager Robbie Nielson, to help out the defence. Killie manager Derek McInnes was probably telling his team to carry on doing what they were doing and the rewards would come.
The Second Half
Finally! A goal!
The second half started with a bang, as the home side went for the throat early. After winning a corner in the 47th minute, they made it count. Danny Armstrong’s delivery was met by a stooping Chris Stokes. The first attempt was blocked but came back to the feet of Stokes who poked in the close-range effort from inside the six-yard box.
1-0 Kilmarnock!
Kilmarnock didn’t rest on their laurels and continued to apply pressure to the Hearts’ defence. Ash Taylor headed a chance straight to Gordon, Jones had a shot deflected wide and then, in the 59th minute of the second half, disaster for Scotland international Craig Gordon.
A backpass was bungled by the usually reliable keeper and Kyle Lafferty was there to pounce. Lafferty played one season for Hearts, scoring 13 goals in 37 matches during the 2017/18 season. There was no remorse from the ex-Jam Tart though, as he wheeled away to celebrate his first goal of the season for Killie. An absolute howler from Gordon and one he will want to forget quickly.
2-0 Kilmarnock!
The first half had been exciting without the goals to show for it but now they were starting to flow. Hearts got themselves back into the game almost immediately (although I had seen some of their fans starting to leave after the second Killie goal).
Robert Snodgrass thumped a raking pass up the pitch from his own half, to leave Stephen Humphrys with a clear run on goal. He calmly rounded Hemmings and from a tight angle squeezed his shot inside the post. Game on!
2-1 Kilmarnock!
Three goals in a fifteen-minute spell and the atmosphere was jumping now, with both sets of fans getting behind their team.
Derek McInnes then made what I consider to be a mistake. He made a double substitution and one of those to be taken off was Kyle Lafferty. Once he was taken off, Kilmarnock seemed to lack a target man and focal point for their attacks. However, I’m not a football manager and I’m sure he had his reasons for doing so.
Hearts were now starting to look the better team and despite Killie having the next big chance, the away side was on top for most of the rest of this game. Gordon saved well from Oli Shaw after he was played through by Rory McKenzie.
Then came a big let-off for the home team. Shankland was hauled down by imposing centre back, Ash Taylor as he raced through on goal. What would have been a clear red card offence was nullified as the linesman had his flag raised for offside in what looked like a very tight call. Personally, looking at the highlights, I think Shankland was level.
See what you think in the highlights at the bottom of this report.
Four minutes later, Shankland flashed a shot wide of the post as the pressure mounted and the rain continued to fall heavily. Chances were at a minimum for Killie since Lafferty left the pitch and with time starting to run out, it was just a question of ‘could they hold on for the win?’
No, they couldn’t.
With time almost up, Hearts scored an absolute stunner to sucker punch the home fans with what was almost the last kick of the game.
A free kick from the right-hand side was floated into the box. It was headed clear to the edge of the area, straight onto the volleyed shot from Nathaniel Atkinson’s left foot. It rocketed into the bottom right corner of the Killie net and the Hearts fans and players erupted into celebrations of the unlikely stoppage-time equaliser. Scenes!
2-2 Hearts equaliser
The full-time whistle blew shortly after and it was a shame to hear the home fans booing because their side had battled hard and on another day would’ve taken the three points.
You can read a Match Report from the Kilmarnock website, here.
Kilmarnock – Match Highlights & Personal Videos
Full-time – Kilmarnock 2 Heart of Midlothian 2
Attendance – 6,651
Entrance Fee – £25.00
Programme – £4.00 (covers matches with Hearts, Dundee United and Ross County)
Kilmarnock – After the Game
A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining game, that. Especially when you consider the conditions and that may have helped explain Craig Gordon’s unusual error to some degree.
We exited Rugby Park, back into the downpour and made our way back along the A759 back into the town.
With the rain still thrashing down, we headed into a pub to grab some dinner. There was a nice-looking pub we had seen yesterday that we wanted to try out, and it turned out to be a decent choice.
The First Edition is quite a big pub with TV screens showing the action between Arsenal and Liverpool when we went in. I think it’s fair to say the food is of a similar quality to what you would expect in a Wetherspoons, so don’t expect haute cuisine food, or prices and I’m fine with that.
I had haggis with tatties and neeps and Mrs Hopper had a bacon cheeseburger. Nothing special but not bad either. It filled the hole and the atmosphere was pleasant while we ate.
Our night was spent watching the new Netflix Dahmer drama. What a frighteningly depressing show that is. Intense and suspenseful, even though you know the story. Wow!
Monday
Monday morning. Time to leave Kilmarnock and our wet weekend in Ayrshire. Rain aside, this had been a great place for football tourism. Ayr United and Kilmarnock are two sides that are well worth visiting if groundhopping is your thing.
Somerset Park is an old-school ground with plenty of terracing and character, while Rugby Park was modernised, mostly during the nineties. Despite the modernisation, it maintains its own character and is more than worthy of Premier League football for years to come.
Our train to Glasgow was cancelled due to ScotRail’s strike action. This meant we had to go back to Kilmarnock bus station to catch the bus to Glasgow instead. Yes, we had to go north, in order to go south!
A comfortable double-decker bus journey later, we were in Glasgow. It was too early to go for our train yet, so we made our way to the Bavarian Brauhaus for lunch. What a winner this place is. The food isn’t cheap but it’s pretty darn authentic and the weissbier to go with the bratwurst went down as an absolute treat.
A cracking place to finish our latest Scottish adventure and one I’d thoroughly recommend if you are in the area. I bet it’s a tremendous venue in the evening.
We caught the 13:35 Carlisle train on time, arriving at 14:45. From there we got the 15:23 into Newcastle and from there our normal bus home. A long weekend, longer than originally planned, for sure but it turned out well. Now it’s time to look back south of the border for our next game…
Onto the next!
Another great review – really enjoy your work.
Hope your trip to Arbroath v Raith works out ok. Don’t forget your thermals…..
Thank you Iain, that’s a really nice comment to read!
I have my huge parka coat on standby for Gayfield!