September 1 2024 Match report: Hibernian (H)
Kilmarnock secured a late point against Hibernian to head into the international break on a high.
The striker smacked home a stoppage-time penalty to ensure the spoils were shared at 1-1 after a stunning goal from Joe Newell.
It marked Killie’s first point of the season, but with a fortnight until the next game the Ayrshire side will hope to come back a different proposition.
It looked sure to be 1-0 as Kyle Vassell latched on to the ball at the back post after 11 minutes, but somehow he managed to find the goalkeeper’s arms from just yards out.
Vassell had another decent chance in the 25th minute as he leapt highest after a Matty Kennedy cross, but the skipper couldn’t quite keep his header down.
Danny Armstrong then had a great opportunity of his own a minute later, he took the ball down on the right wing before cutting in to fire a shot away, it went narrowly wide of the post.
Kieran O’Hara pulled off a fantastic low save just before the half-hour mark as Hyeokkyu Kwon smashed a shot towards the bottom corner, but O’Hara got down superbly to match it.
Mykola Kukharevych almost pulled off an incredibly audacious lob over O’Hara in the 42nd minute as he spotted the ‘keeper off his line and attempted to beat him from the halfway line, thankfully O’Hara scrambled back in time to tip it over for a corner.
Hibs took the lead five minutes after the break as Joe Newell curled home a spectacular effort from the side of the box, leaving O’Hara helpless as it floated into the top corner.
Vassell had a fantastic chance to equalise after 71 minutes as he was slipped through on goal, his toe-poke couldn’t find its way past Josef Bursik in the Hibs’ goal though.
Killie then had a dream chance in stoppage-time when Bruce Anderson was brought down in the area – a penalty was awarded and Anderson stepped up to smash home the spot-kick and seal a point for the Ayrshire side.
Score: Kilmarnock 1-1 Hibernian
Team: O’Hara, Wright, Mayo, Findlay, Ndaba (Burroughs 73), Armstrong (Murray 73), Watson (McKenzie 73), Polworth, Kennedy (Wales 73), Anderson, Vassell (Cameron 73)
