Kilmarnock manager Mixu Paatelainen counted his blessings after Jamie Hamill's injury-time goal gave his side the three points against Aberdeen in match that looked destined for a stalemate.
Aberdeen had started the brighter and created chances within the first two minutes but quickly went off the boil and Kilmarnock went on to create the better opportunities. Connor Sammon was the main threat for the visitors and Paatelainen reserved praise for the striker, who he likened to Terry Butcher after a head knock saw the Irishman end the match swathed in bandages.
Paatelainen said: "Lady luck was on our side. We had a little luck when we eventually scored and I'm delighted."
He added: "I was always hoping that one of those attacks would give us a goal and that there would be no mistakes in our own defence. I wanted to win the game and I knew it was possible.
"Aberdeen have had a fantastic start to the season with two wins before this, but all credit to the boys. They fought really hard, were organised in defence and when we got the ball they followed the plan and created chances".
Of striker Sammon, the former Hibernian manager continued: "Connor is a big, powerful striker who works ever so hard in training and in matches.
"There's still loads to work on with him in terms of movement but he was tremendous today and he played the ninety minutes despite a head knock. He played like Terry Butcher in his heyday. With a little bit more luck he might have scored himself."
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee admitted that while losing the game so late was disappointing, it wasn't his main gripe of the day.
He said "My disappointment isn't with losing the goal so late, it's with not turning good play and good possession in the first half into goals. Of course we missed the creativity of Sone Aluko, but I don't think it was responsible for us losing the game. You'd like to think if he was playing we might have created a little bit more but in terms of possession and territorial pressure we had enough in the first half to do better.
"I don't think we played well enough up front and that's the major disappointment of the game. The fact we conspired to lose the game so late is a disappointment, but these things happen."
Source: PA
