Kilmarnock fought back to secure a 1-1 draw away at Motherwell in their final match before Christmas.
A poor first half display saw the hosts take the lead through Liam Gordon on 17 minutes when he pounced after Dan Casey’s initial effort clattered off the woodwork.
Having offered little, Killie began to take momentum in the second half and spurned chances before Liam Polworth netted an equaliser. Remarkbly, it was the midfielder’s first goal in two years – with his last effort being an equaliser on a Friday night just before Christmas away to Motherwell.
The away side were handed a boost moments after the leveller when Casey was shown red for violent conduct, when it appeared to be little more than a shirt pull on Danny Armstrong. The Killie sub was booked in the same incident.
Both sides charged forward looking to turn one point into three but couldn’t find a winner.
Derek McInnes elected to make three changes to the side that beat Hearts on Sunday. Kieran O’Hara retained his place in goal after coming on at half-time for Robby McCrorie, while there were recalls for skipper Kyle Vassell and David Watson with Bobby Wales and the suspended Robbie Deas making way.
Neither side was able to control much of the play in the opening stages, but Motherwell made the game’s first meaningful effort on goal count as they took the lead on 17 minutes.
A Lennon Miller free-kick was weakly headed out by Lewis Mayo with the Well skipper whipping in a delivery that should have been claimed by O’Hara but was turned onto the post by Casey. His defensive partner Gordon was on hand to slam home his first goal for the club.
Little was clicking up front for the visitors but they were able to fashion a decent opportunity around the half hour mark. The effective Fraser Murray offered a threat all evening down the left flank and he did well to fizz a delivery into the box that found Vassell. However, the striker’s angled drive across goal was smartly saved by Aston Oxborough.
The second half followed much the same pattern with both sides searching for, but struggling to find, a cutting edge in attack.
Killie, however, grew into things and started to look a threat. They fashioned a couple of decent chances around the hour mark when firstly Murray and Corrie Ndaba linked up brilliantly down the left hand side before the former cut the ball back to substitute Bobby Wales. He saw his effort deflected wide.
Moments later Vassell should have brought the game level after being sent through by Wales but Oxborough produced a tremendous stop to keep his side in front.
They finally took their chance 16 minutes from time when Brad Lyons did well to get to the bye-line before teeing up Polworth with the ex-Well man coming back to haunt former club, although Oxborough got more than a decent hand to the effort.
And their chances were given a further boost five minutes later when the home side were reduced to 10 men following a shoving match between Casey and Armstrong. The Well man was ordered off with his Killie combatant only shown a yellow – much to the bemusement of almost everyone in the ground.
Searching for a late winner, Killie went close in injury-time when Vassell’s blocked effort found its way back to Kyle Magennis, but he was unable to turn the ball home as both sides were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
Motherwell: Oxborough; Gordon, Blaney, Casey; Kaleta, Halliday (Sparrow 69), Miller, Paton (Zdravkovski 69), Seddon (Wilson 38); Watt (Maswanhise 84), Stamatelopoulos (Ebiye 84). Subs not used: Hegyi, O’Donnell, Balmer, Tavares.
Goal: Gordon (17)
Red card: Casey (79)
Kilmarnock: O’Hara; Wright, Mayo, Ndaba; Lyons, Watson (Magennis 71), Polworth (McKenzie 90), Murray; Anderson (Armstrong 71); Watkins (Wales 51), Vassell. Subs not used: McCrorie, Burroughs, Mackay-Steven, Cameron, Bainbridge.
Goal: Polworth (74)