Kilmarnock 2 QOS 1: No margin for error in tight Championship race

Kilmarnock know there is no margin for error now. They will have to be as precise as Ash Taylor’s opening goal if they want to ensure a return to the cinch Premiership and avoid further nervy afternoons such as this.

The roar of relief was significant at full-time with Derek McInnes’ side still top by two points thanks to Oli Shaw’s late strike. Queen of the South had threatened to trip up the Ayrshire promotion bid and are fighting for their own Championship lives, but Kilmarnock dug out three important points in their quest to restore top flight football at Rugby Park with a precision finish from an unexpected source.

Arbroath’s own unexpected promotion bid refuses to wane and Queens’ resilient performance is warning that Kilmarnock will have to make more of pressure and possession than they did in the first half. Queens’ well-marshalled defence frustrated Fraser Murray, Kyle Lafferty and Shaw early on but also coaxed some clever movement between the attacking trio. They each pulled a shot wide of Josh Rae’s goal within the first quarter of an hour but it was a clever finish from Kilmarnock’s centre-half that eventually made the pressure count.

Lafferty helped a Rory McKenzie cross on to Taylor lurking outside the box and the former Aberdeen defender curled an intricate shot past Rae that tucked just inside the post and no more. It was precise, and precisely what Kilmarnock had needed after a first half of pressure they could not otherwise convert.

Queens had only fired a fleeting – but potent – warning just before the half-hour when Ali Roy cut in from the left wing and swept a shot from 20 yards at the top corner that was pawed out by Zach Hemming.

It would have been against the run of play and harsh on Kilmarnock.