St Mirren 2 Kilmarnock 2: Instant reaction to the burning issues

Marley Watkins scored one and helped force a Jonah Ayunga own goal as the visitors came from behind twice and played with ten men for a fourth time this season.

Kilmarnock fought back twice to earn a deserved draw in Paisley against St Mirren. 

In a heated affair, Killie were reduced to 10 men towards the end of the first half, however, that seemed a dubious decision on a bad afternoon for the officials.

Marley Watkins was straight back in the starting XI after injury, and he scored once and helped force a Jonah Ayunga own goal to cancel out Toyosi Olusanya and Mark O'Hara's strikes.

Here's our instant reaction to the burning issues...

Players do the club proud

Make no mistake about it, this was a performance for Killie fans to be proud of their team. The hardest of hard-fought points.

Had this game been officiated in the way you’d hope a match at this level to be, the story could’ve likely been a different outcome in favour of the visitors, who edged it even with a man deficit.

That wasn’t to be though, as we’ll get onto below. All of the players who pulled on the jersey represented the club with pride, determination and grit in testing circumstances – with some of those out of their control like the weather.

Liam Polworth played terrifically well, controlling matters in midfield for Killie. He ad David Watson collected second balls nicely and actually put their foot on the ball and looked for a pass throughout the 90.

The 1000-strong travelling support quite rightly greeted the team at the end.

Derek McInnes’ impressive record against St Mirren now reads one loss in 33 matches as a manager. Even with a man’s advantage, the Buddies still couldn’t get one over Ayrshire’s finest.

Ref loses control

If Willie Collum’s presence in the media is going to become a regular thing, then he’s going to have some explaining to do regarding Matthew MacDermid’s below-par performance (putting it politely) as the man in the middle at the SMiSA.

After Killie’s equaliser on 10 minutes, the game descended into chaos. Granted, the players didn’t make it the easiest of afternoons for the officials, but on their part, they simply have to shoulder most of the responsibility.

Mikael Mandron should’ve been off the park after just 16 minutes. The big striker was booked for an elbow on Joe Wright moments before he went clean through the back of Stuart Findlay after the ball was away. He was late, he came from the blindside of a player – it was stick-on yellow and the frontman should’ve seen red. It said it all when Stephen Robinson hooked him after less than 20 minutes played.

The penalty award for the hosts initially looked harsh to say the least. Joe Wright was penalised for a handball as VAR advised an on-field review. His arm looked to be in a slightly unnatural position, albeit the ball was blasted in his direction at a close distance, so what was he meant to do? Upon reflection, the shot by Shaun Rooney was goal-bound, so it seems that’s why it was retrospectively awarded.

Wright was then sent off a matter of moments later after VAR decided to get involved, with the defender apparently guilty of violent conduct. Rooney seemingly hit the deck out of the blue. It’s worth noting at this point that the St Johnstone legend got away without even so much as a warning after kicking Kyle Vassell TWICE when he was on the deck earlier in the half.

Having not seen the incident back, I don’t want to comment too much, but it seemed harsh given what went on before. What I will say is that it remains a mystery as to how Killie was reduced to 10 men before St Mirren.

VAR wasn’t finished, as it correctly wiped out what looked like a stoppage-time winner for St Mirren as Marcus Fraser was penalised for a high boot on Watson. That’s why we’ve got it in the game, I suppose!

Referees get an incredibly hard time and usually, it’s best to try and look upon them with empathy. This was not one of those occasions, though, as MacDermid totally lost control – certainly in the first half anyway.