Kilmarnock 3-0 Falkirk: Kyle calls shots to kill off Falkirk

Kilmarnock 3

Kyle 11, 36, 84

Falkirk 0

THREE goals for Kevin Kyle, three points for Kilmarnock, and a stonking headache for anyone who dared tread in the path of their marauding striker. By the time he trooped off to a standing ovation in the final minutes of this one, a trail of debris was strewn about Rugby Park in the shape of several battered Falkirk defenders, a demoralised travelling support and a manager now officially up to his eyes in the brown stuff.

What a time for Kyle to add to his solitary goal for Kilmarnock. What a time for them to secure their first win of the year, their first at home since November. A big, bustling performance by the towering striker, one that bordered on the unplayable in fact, lifted his team into eighth position, six points clear of bottom-placed Falkirk, who no longer have games in hand or a better goal difference to count on.

"That's my first hat-trick, the highlight of my career," said Kyle, who scored two headers, and was the inspiration behind a Kilmarnock side who fought as though their lives depended on it. Banned from speaking to the press last week, they did their talking on the pitch, just as their manager, Jim Jefferies, had asked them to. They were first to every ball, ruthless when it mattered, and but for a brief period at the start of the second half, always looked like winning. By the time Kyle was knocking in his last, the Falkirk manager, John Hughes, who worked with Jefferies for much of his playing career, was on the wrong end of some pretty meaty abuse by the away fans. "I need to look at the team I picked, and the style I came to play," he admitted later. "Maybe I got it wrong. We need to be more resolute. The mindset has to be tougher. If I have to do it to win football games, I will go against my principles."

Right from the off, there was none of the depression by which Kilmarnock have been afflicted lately, thanks largely to Kyle. Kilmarnock's battering ram of a striker isn't so much a handful as a full-blown lorryload, the impact of which is enough to weigh down any defence. If Falkirk were in any doubt as to the danger posed by the home side's human wrecking-ball, it was eliminated by a clattering challenge on Steven Pressley that had the centre-half writhing about in the box. Lee Bullen was another grounded by an aerial assault, for which Kyle was shown the yellow card.

Between those was a goal that demonstrated the player's other qualities. It was his head flick that caused the initial confusion for Falkirk, and more particularly, Jackie McNamara, whose short pass-back allowed Danny Invincibile a sniff of goal. When Danni Mallo, came out to block, the ball spun off the goalkeeper and into the path of Kyle, who found the bottom corner with the inside of his right boot.

Hughes has demanded that his team produce more than just sweat in the battle to avoid relegation, but the buckets of it spilt by Kilmarnock seemed to be doing the job here. It looked as though they wanted it more, closing down their opponents at every opportunity, and restricting them to just one decent effort in a one-sided first half. Kevin McBride's hopeful shot from all of 30 yards almost caught out Alan Combe, who could only slap it away in a panic.

Hughes has complemented his promising young squad with a splash of experience this season, but a defence that includes Pressley, McNamara and Bullen looked to be creaking yesterday. The goal that doubled Kilmarnock's advantage was another example of the nightmare that is marking Kyle. When Garry Hay accepted a pass from Mehdi Taouil wide on the left, he had only to sling in a useful ball and wait for the connection. Sure enough, the run was timed to perfection, the jump even moreso, and a glancing header was directed into the far corner. It is hard to credit that these goals were Kyle's first since he scored on his debut against St Mirren in January. Hughes must be frustrated that the former Scotland international couldn't wait another week to end his drought, but not as frustrated as he was with the striker's two-footed challenge just before half-time. The Falkirk manager reacted angrily to the offence that was committed right in front of his dugout. The player was lucky not to be sent off.

Inevitably, Falkirk played better after the interval – it would have been criminal not to – but they squandered a couple of chances to score the quick goal that would have transformed their prospects. When Michael Higdon held up a long ball, Burton O'Brien dashed in to collect the lay-off and slip a weak shot under the goalkeeper. The lack of conviction in his effort allowed Hay to clear at the back post. A few minutes later, Carl Finnigan's 10-yard shot was blocked by Combe.

Falkirk's failure to take advantage of their purple patch soon prompted in them a growing despondency, which was shared by their supporters. First, they demanded the introduction of Arnau Riera, and later upped the ante with repeated claims that Hughes didn't know what he was doing. The manager was booed for replacing Neil McCann with Gerard Aafjes, and further reprimanded for introducing Tam Scobbie in place of McNamara.

You can imagine how things deteriorated when Kyle twisted the knife with seven minutes left. Invincibile chased a lost cause down by the corner flag, and flicked the ball back to Taouil, whose cross was headed in off the post by the man of the match. Only the sound of "Paper Roses" spared Hughes further flak.