Berwick 2-3 Kilmarnock: Match Report

26 July 2016 21:34

Souleymane Coulibaly rescues Kilmarnock against Berwick

Souleymane Coulibaly inspired a thrilling comeback as Kilmarnock avoided a Betfred Cup shock against League 2 outfit Berwick Rangers.

Goals from Jonny Fairbairn and on-loan Hibs youngster Sean Mackie had Lee Clark's charges staring down the barrel of a chastening defeat at Shielfield Park.

However, the 21-year-old hit back with two superb instinctive finishes in the space of five minutes to restore parity and the turnaround was complete after 85 minutes when Rory McKenzie headed home the winner to make it 3-2.

The dramatic triumph saw Killie, bottom of Group H as it stood at half-time, end the night in the top two.

The visitors, reeling from a 2-0 defeat against Morton on Saturday, started like a side desperate to make amends, with William Boyle striking the bar with a looping header.

However, they were hit by a sucker-punch when the Wee Rangers skipper Fairbairn stooped to head home a wicked Steven Thomson corner after 11 minutes.

It was deja vu for the Ayrshire men when they rattled the bar for the second time in the first 25 minutes through Josh Magennis, who rose highest to meet a Stevie Smith delivery.

Things went from bad to worse for Kille after the break when Jordan Sheerin found Mackie on the break and the promising left-back rifled a low shot beyond Oliver Davies for his first goal in senior football.

But that spurred the top-flight side into action. Coulibaly rattled home an instinctive half-volley from the edge of the box to halve deficit (65) and delivered another ferocious finish five minutes later, before the turnaround was completed when McKenzie headed home a rebound following a fine Kevin Walker save from Flo Bojaj.


Source: PA