Armstrong seals win against lively Cove
Killie progress to Scottish Cup quarter-finals
Kilmarnock progressed to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win over Cove Rangers.
However, the League One outfit certainly did themselves proud facing top flight opposition.
Indeed, Cove were lively from the start and gave the home fans a scare with only two minutes played when Fraser Murray cleared a Rumarn Burrell effort off the line.
They continued to show good enterprising play, with Killie struggling to offer any real threat in their opponent’s box.
It was the 22nd minute before they had a real effort on goal as Marley Watkins hit an angled shot just wide of the Cove goal.
They came even closer 10 minutes later when Kevin van Veen’s flicked header from a Liam Polworth corner rebounded off the bar and into a safe area.
Matty Kennedy was a livewire for the Rugby Park side, and a shot at the end of a tricky run two minutes before the interval was deflected wide.
From the resultant corner, Watkins continued his recent good scoring run by netting the game’s opening goal.
Shortly after the restart, dangerman Kennedy almost doubled Killie’s lead when he tricked his way towards goal and fired in a shot that cannoned off a Cove defender.
Another decent opportunity fell for van Veen on 54 minutes, but he couldn’t steer his header from Murray’s cross on target.
Rangers had their moments in attack, and the Killie defence had to be on high alert as they stormed forward seeking out an equalising goal.
Some slack play by the home defence allowed the visitors far too much of the ball in the attacking third, and it was with some relief that substitute Danny Armstrong doubled his side’s lead on 80 minutes, moments after coming on for Watkins.
Rory McKenzie was the provider with a cross into the box from the left, and Armstrong showed his customary potency when he drove the ball low into the opposition net.
Two minutes later and Murray should have stretched Killie’s lead when he ran clear on goal, but his shot was off target.
In added on time, substitute Kyle Vassell produced a delicate dink over Nicholas Suman with the keeper able to scramble back in time to claw the ball off the line.
In the end it didn’t matter, as the Rugby Park side did enough to ensure their progression into the last eight.