Raging Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin insisted the penalty awarded to Kilmarnock was soft and cost his side dear.
It looked like the Terrors had secured a victory when birthday boy Sam Dalby netted late on. However, deep in stoppage time, Killie dramatically gained a share of the spoils with Bruce Anderson clinically converting a spot-kick. And Goodwin hopes all the pundits who said the Terrors were the recipients of another ‘soft’ penalty last week against St Mirren, will be in agreement with him this time round.
He said: “It is in the soft category, definitely. There was a big deal made about the penalty we received last weekend, the one on Kevin Holt against St Mirren. So I am assuming all the pundits and journalists who said our one was soft will all be in agreement with me this week that the one Kilmarnock got was very very soft.
“I was concerned after the amount of media attention our penalty decisions got last week. I was worried today that that would go against us and possibly that was the case.”
United made one change to the team that beat St Mirren with striker Louis Moult in for winger Glenn Middleton who dropped to the bench. Killie reacted to their midweek mauling from Rangers loss by drafting in Fraser Murray, Liam Polworth and Anderson to replace Oliver Bainbridge, Marley Watkins and David Watson who were named as subs.
The hosts made a fast start and came close to opening the scoring in just the third minute. A long throw from the left by Will Ferry caused chaos in the Killie box with Dalby hitting a snap-shot that cannoned off keeper Robby McCrorie’s right-hand post.
Kilmarnock finally had a half-chance of their own in the 13th minute but Robbie Deas could not keep his shot down under pressure and it flew over Jack Walton’s bar. The Terrors hit back with Emmanuel Adegboyega trying his luck with an angled drive but McCrorie easily gathered. The Killie keeper was called into action again just after the half-hour, making a fingertip save to keep out a fierce 20-yard drive from Ferry.
United came agonisingly close to opening the scoring five minutes after the restart when Adegboyega smashed a low shot towards goal with Moult getting a touch but the striker’s instinctive effort flew just inches wide. Shortly after, the home side thought they had taken the lead when Adegboyega headed home but the ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside.
Killie had a great chance of their own in the 57th minute when Corrie Ndaba sent a tempting cross into the home box with Anderson sending a powerful header flashing wide. Three minutes later, Killie had to change keepers with McCrorie hobbling off to be replaced by Kieran O’Hara.
The stalemate was finally broken in the 79th minute. United skipper David Babunski hit a shot from the edge of the box with O’Hara parrying the ball into the path of Dalby who headed home.
That looked to be that but in the 95th minute Killie were handed a lifeline when Bobby Wales was caught by United’s Richard Odada in the box. Ref Steven McLean was called to the pitchside monitor then pointed to the spot. Anderson stepped up and fired high past Walton.