Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes was visibly frustrated following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Celtic, which saw the Hoops advance to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
The Ayrshire side struggled to impose themselves in the second half, allowing Celtic to dominate and secure the win.
The former Aberdeen boss did not shy away from expressing his dissatisfaction post-match. While critical of his team’s performance, he also pointed to key incidents that he believes influenced the outcome of the game.
Early Incident Leaves Kilmarnock Depleted
One of McInnes’ biggest concerns stemmed from an incident just a minute into the match. Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn, through on goal in a one-on-one against Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robbie McCrorie, accidentally collided with the keeper’s cheek. McCrorie had to be substituted just four minutes into the game.
Speaking to the Daily Record, McInnes shared his fears:
“Our biggest fear is that he’s fractured his cheekbone. He’s away getting an x-ray just now, but with the way the NHS is at the moment – we might not know until Monday!
“The doctor seems to think it’s his cheekbone. We’re preparing ourselves for the worst news with him. Then Brad went off with a hamstring. We came here depleted as well, the cards were stacked against us with the draw.
“When the team line came in from Celtic they were at full strength – that’s Celtic’s strongest team. So we had to contend with that.”
Questioning Key Refereeing Decisions
Another flashpoint for McInnes was the free kick that led to Daizen Maeda’s decisive goal. The Kilmarnock manager strongly criticized referee Nick Walsh and the officiating team for their handling of the situation.
McInnes explained:
“It should’ve been a foul for us. How the fourth official can give it the other way I don’t know. I saw it back, Auston Trusty fouled Watkins.
“Then they don’t take it from where the foul was, it’s 20 yards further forward. It was quickly put out to the other side while we’re still debating it and 20 seconds later it’s in the back of our net.
“If we’re not going to get the foul, at least make sure it’s taken from the right spot. Nicolas Kuhn is a top player and he slides Maeda in to score. There are acceptable ways to lose a cup tie and I thought we did that today.”
Celtic’s Lack of Ruthlessness Raises Questions
Despite McInnes’ frustrations, Kilmarnock were clearly second-best at Celtic Park, with the Hoops missing several opportunities to put the game out of sight.
Brendan Rodgers might well have been the angrier of the two managers, as Celtic’s lack of clinical finishing could have cost them in a tighter contest.
Nevertheless, McInnes deflected some of the attention from his team’s shortcomings to the refereeing decisions and unfortunate injuries. While understandable, his focus will need to shift toward improving Kilmarnock’s ability to compete in these high-pressure matches.
Kilmarnock’s performance at Celtic Park left much to be desired, and McInnes knows there’s work to be done if they are to challenge teams of Celtic’s caliber.
Meanwhile, Rodgers and Celtic will look to sharpen their attacking edge as they advance in the competition, aiming to avoid the missed chances that could have proved costly in this encounter.
