This blog has until now ignored the weekend’s 3-1 league defeat away to Motherwell. Tonight’s match reversed that scoreline in our favour, but at least Morton put up a better fight than Killie did at Fir Park.

Two goals from Man of the Match, Conor Sammon (one from a penalty that the rangy striker won himself) and one from Scotland recall, Kevin Kyle  gave Killie a deserved win over Morton.

Sammon won a penalty in 24 mins and converted against the hungrier Morton side. It was no surprise when we went in 1-1 at half-time, although it was difficult to spot Tim Clancy’s infringement from my seat. Maybe it was a tug on Bryan Graham or a handball that gave Morton their penalty which McGuffie put away.

The away side didn’t have the same fervour after the break and Killie asserted their authority when on 64 minutes Kyle supplied a sweet ball across the goal for Sammon to head home. The goalie nearly got a hand to it, but Conor had made sure. Sammon still playing like a man possessed, had a few good chances he squandered. But deserved his MoM award.

Fernandez replaced the leg-weary Invincible and looked thinner and livelier as he supplied a well-placed cross for Kyle to bullet home the header on the 90-minute mark.

Let’s hope Jamie Hamill’s injury isn’t too bad – he appeared to have twisted a knee in a last-ditch tackle in our box just before the break and seemed to be on crutches in the dugout when he failed to reappear for the second half.

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The scoreline perhaps flatters a bit, as this new Hamilton team actually gelled better than expected, but Killie were never going to lose this encounter, especially as the Saviour himself was playing after an injury worry.

Kyle had been experiencing trouble with a stomach muscle, an injury he acquired in Italy, but after a painful injection he decided he was fit enough to play and what a contribution he made. He volleyed Garry Hay’s free-kick into the net from the back post for the first and the second, if it could be descibed as a colour, would be a hue of the purest peach. Collecting Skelton’s long clearance, he sidestepped the Hamilton defender and immediately curled the ball into the postage stamp from 20 yards. A beautiful goal, making him worthy of his man of the match award.

But this was not just a Kyle-fest. the rest of the team played well, soaking up Hamilton’s lively pressure and passing the ball out of danger to pressure their defence in return. Hamill’s goal (played onside by the slow Marvin Andrews) rounded off a fine win and the crowd were even more entertained by Jamie’s celebration roll-over and dive! Hooky would have got my vote as MoM, but others were good too – Conor Sammon played like a new signing and deserves mention for his work-rate and skill.

A good end-to-end game to start the season. Let’s hope we can utilise KK to garner as many points as possible before Christmas. He’s committed himself to Killie till then – and finances will dictate we will sell him before his contract runs out at the end of the season.