Killie v Livi

Could this be our 4th away league win this season, and extend our run to 6 wins in a row. We owe Killie a defeat after the way we lost to them in our last game, thankfully Aitken wont be in charge, or in the officiating line up.

Wonder if Martindale was saving Poplatnik for this game, and he'll start to give Robbo a rest. The fixture list is going to get really hextic the next few months, we may need to rotate the starting XI a bit to get through it in good shape. I think we've a good squad when we can do this, the main core players are Stryjek, Guthrie Mullin & Pittman, i think everyone else can be rotated.

Fitzwater/Brown

Devlin/McMillan

Serrano/Lawson/McMillan

Bartley/Holt

Sibbald/Lawson/Holt

Forrest/Lawson/Serrano

Poplatnik/Robinson/Tiffoney (if fit)

Maybe even see JET being used from the subs bench to rest up our front players when we can. He looked a bit better in his bried appearance against Accies.

Anyway, just show the same effort and pressing play as we've been doing and we'll win this easy. Mon the Lions, lets do this.

Dont think it will be easy,but if Killie are struggling at the moment we cant afford to be generous even at this festive time.This momentum we have wont last forever and as Orco says weve got to gather as many points as possible in this current situation. We're good enough to get a result at Rugby Park and hopefully the lads believe that we can.Nothing to fear so give it your best shot Livi and Merry Xmas

Had a look at the weather forecast for tomorrow. Rain and 40mph winds. We usually don't do well in poor conditions. The game will be a lottery.

Yeah, but we have grown immensely over the last few weeks. We are capable of winning this one but it will be a tough one. Can’t see us dominating this game as we did against Accies.

A point wouldn’t be bad but 3 would be excellent

Got to admit, i wouldn't fancy playing football out in that today, isn't even pleasant for going and watching it, kinda glad i can stay in and watch it on my telly, for once i appreciate the lockdown restrictions.

Hopefully see Popltnik starting today, and it wasn't because he isn't fit to play he didn't feature against Accies, he'll be nice and fresh after Robbo did all the work in the last game. If we can manage to keep both of them fit and rotate them during this busy fixture list of 2 games a week, we'll be doing well. Hopefully Tiffs can come back quickly from his injury too. We're going to need everyone fit and able to play in the coming weeks.

Wont have to water the plastic pitch anyway, the ball with be zipping off it, so lets get our shooting boots on and trying a few long range shots along the surface.

JET starting suggests Poplatnik is still not fully recovered from his rib injury, the big fella really needs to show up in this game, big opportunity for him, and he shouldn't be getting any more if he doesn't prove himself here.

Forrest dropped with Holt & Marv playing together also suggests the conditions are playing a part in Martindale's selection, setting us up for a scrap in midfied.

Yeh,the conditions wont allow silky football.But agree hes got to grab his chance. Not going to be pretty.Mon the Lions.

Decent first half from Livi.Horrendous conditions. Thought big John had got us off to a flier there.Pitts with the ball in the net,correctly ruled out for offside.Livi the better team here,but got to take any chances we get.Still tough to call.Subs may decide this 2nd half.Mon the Lions..

Devlin yellow carded for a handball in the box & Killie in front from the spot

Let’s see what resolve the guys have now, first time we’ve been behind under DM

Jumbo JET!!! 1-1 mon the Lions!!

As usual when i doubt this team they deliver.What a goal from Robbo at the death.Overall they deserved that after a gritty display over the 90mins.I called it at H T.Subs would make an impact. JET did what he had to do,a fortunate mistake from their goalie got us back into the game.But TBH was setteling for a point at that stage.For me more important is We're 7 points clear of that 11th place.The Lions have given us a great xmas and well deserved. The sheep are on there way down,with Lions awaiting them.Feeding time.

And a last minute winner from Robbo... well done lads... now a wee win against the Dons - another team we are long overdue a result against

Watching on Alba... looked a harsh pen as it was pretty much point blank & no chance to get his hand/arm out of the way; Killie keeper should have saved JET’s equaliser. We seem to have dominated the second half with Killie almost snatching a goal in the last 10 mins.

And what a way to win it. More good fortune than a deliberate effort I think but fortune favours the brave.

Bossed the first half and could've been a couple of goals up, and even when we went behind to their penalty i still thought we could get the win. Something i had no confidence under Holt's team this season. JET's goal looked like their keeper should've had it but it hits the ground just in front of him and skites off the surface under his body and into the net, well hit by JET.

Sibbs almost getting another from range, the lad is due one of those, he's come close a few times.

Big Guthrie got on another of Mullin's free kicks and thought he was scoring, after that i thought we'd have to settle for the draw, then up pops Robbo from a Stryjek long ball into the box and bang, he only goes and gets us a last minute winner.

Top 6 again and the table looking a lot healthier for us, Motherwell and Accies covid points being suspended too, until the Feb hearing, would be great if they have to play their games and St Mirren get a points deduction instead. Wasn't fair the way it was done because it affected the other teams in the league that hadn't done anything wrong. Irrespective of what happens there, we've got things back in our own hands, and the games coming thick and fast could be a good thing with the form we're on, we don't really want a break.

Bring on the sheep, they'll be lambs to the slaughter.

As Orco said earlier in the thread, with the weather conditions being so bad, this is exactly the type of game we'd have lost in prev seasons, Accies away, St Mirren away springing to mind, loving seeing us having a strong mentality, good camaraderie, and our old pressing play back again. Looking forward to this hectic schedule, as i mentioned above, we have dropped off from a good run in form whenever we went into a break, so this could really benefit us having to play right through Jan this season.

I'm beginning to believe that old adage that it all evens itself out over the season. Earlier we had no luck at all with teams taking points off us through deflected goals and dodgy penalties. No chance then that JET goal would have bounced at the crucial moment or that Robinson's speculative kick would have hit the back of the net. Long may this continue cos I'm loving it.

Having seen the highlights I stand by the keeper error comment that he should have saved it; it doesn’t bounce before it reaches him it goes under his outstretched hands, it is bad goalkeeping.

I don’t believe the breaks even out over a season but I do believe that when you try things you make things happen & you get lucky breaks. Credit to JET for shooting because even if the keeper had saved it there may have been a loose ball to capitalise on & credit to Robbo for trying to get something on target in the dying seconds & getting the winner because of it.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Having seen the highlights I stand by the keeper error comment that he should have saved it; it doesn’t bounce before it reaches him it goes under his outstretched hands, it is bad goalkeeping.

I don’t believe the breaks even out over a season but I do believe that when you try things you make things happen & you get lucky breaks. Credit to JET for shooting because even if the keeper had saved it  there may have been a loose ball to capitalise on & credit to Robbo for trying to get something on target in the dying seconds & getting the winner because of it.

Glad to see the old Bertie back.

Agree with you on the 2nd part though (in this game anyway). Also think JET hits it pretty quickly and gives the keeper less time to react, stand by my view of the ball hitting the pitch at the right time to take it past the keeper, if that was in the air and not hitting the ground at that exact spot, the keeper was getting it.
Kinda agree with both Orco and you on the evening itself out debate. The more shots you take (and the harder you work) the luckier you get type of thing, we had Guthrie x 2, Robbo x 3, Fitzwater, Pitts, Sibbald, all in positions to score, or having close shaves on scoring, so no great surprise 2 went in. Opposition teams have scored with their only effort on goal this season though, and some taking deflections, so can see both of you having valid points, ouch, my arse just got a splinter off that fence there.