Jimmy says Aye to a Killie Pie...

Almost on the eve of the 10 year anniversary of ICT's greatest cup exploits, the team headed South hoping to repeat the process against SPL opposition but it was not to be as Killie convincingly won 3-0 with goals from Connor Sammon and a double from Liam Kelly.

This made it a long trip back up the A9 for team and fans but they could be content that the scoreline had flattered Killie as the game was much more equal than the final score suggested.

Not only that, but the atmosphere was excellent thanks to Jimmy Calderwood's alleged penchant for Killie pies.

The famous pies weren’t the only high point of the day for the ICT travelling support, a forty minute continuous chant based on the Kilmarnock saying “Say aye to a Killie pie.” The “creative” fans came up with Jimmy says aye to a Killie pie, aimed at the new “robust” Killie manager.

Kille were high on confidence after defeating Celtic in a midweek game, their match-winner in that game, Chris Maguire was cup tied for the clash. ICT’s long term servant Ross Tokely would have been hoping for another cup-shock as it was almost ten years to the day when ICT beat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead.

It was ICT who started the game best and forced the first of a string of good saves from young Killie stopper, Cammy Bell. A long ball forward from Grant Munro was flicked on by Danni Sanchez into the path of Adam Rooney who muscled his way through two defenders before trying to slide the ball past Bell from a tight angle, but it wasn’t to be as the previously injury ridden keeper parried the ball to safety. ICT continued to press and David Proctor tested Bell from long distance but his drive was held well by the Killie stopper.

However, it was Killie who took the lead through Connor Sammon, latching onto a long ball before looping the ball over the helpless Ryan Esson in the ICT goal. A goal against the run of play but they all count, sadly.

ICT nearly equalized when Adam Rooney played the ball out onto the wing to Richie Foran where the Irishman drilled the ball across the six yard box but Spaniard Sanchez just couldn’t convert the ball after Cammy Bell made a crucial touch on the ball when Foran played the ball across to make sure Sanchez couldn’t force the ball across the line.

The Rugby Park side double their lead in the 36th minute, a long pass by January signing Scott Severin, finding Sammon whose cross wasn’t fully cleared and it landed at the feet of Liam Kelly who side footed into the net, despite the ball taking a slight deflection off of Lionel Djebi-Zadi.

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The game was wrapped up for Killie in the second half when Gary Hay’s deep cross landed at the feet of Djebi-Zadi but the French defender could only watch as the ball cannoned off of him and in came Liam Kelly to smash home his second of the day.

ICT kept pushing for a consolation goal and forced Cammy Bell to make two outstanding saves to keep his second clean sheet this week. The first coming when Richie Foran volleyed goal-wards after substitute Eric Odhiambo’s cross found him at the back post and pulling a magnificent save from Bell. The second was when Foran’s cross wasn’t fully cleared and Odhiambo ran in and released a venomous shot that Bell again parried clear to cap off an extremely impressive performance from the young shot stopper.

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