Muirhead ensures all is not Well for manager McCall.
A lone preacher stood outside Rugby Park before kick-off, warning football fans of impending Armageddon.
By the end of the match, Stuart McCall must have felt like his own world was coming to an end.
His Motherwell side had somehow managed to raise the curtain on the Scottish Premiership campaign with a win against St Mirren that was more of a smash and grab than anything else.
But back-to-back defeats against Dundee United and Inverness teams they would expect to be battling for the runners-up spot betrayed the frailties in the Steelmen side.
McCall was already without the likes of Steven Hammell, Simon Ramsden, Zaine Francis Angol and Adam Cummins, and
their defensive problems intensified when teenager David Ferguson, who made his first start at left-back the previous week, was added to the growing
injury list.
McCall feels playing on an artificial surface when they faced Stjarnan in the Europa League contributed to the heavy casualty list and, as such, he was not relishing the prospect of a first taste of Kilmarnock’s new plastic pitch.
However, the playing surface could not be held responsible for what proved to be another disappointing outing from the Lanarkshire outfit.
McCall had described last week’s reverse at the hands of Inverness as “rotten”. This was better not not by much.
Killie also had key personnel of their own missing; Craig Slater, who had stolen the show
against Ross County was absent from the match day squad, as was the imposing figure of Michael Ngoo.
Boss Allan Johnston confirmed afterwards that the duo’s absence was down to injury.
Reports that Ngoo had spent last Sunday night in the cells following an alleged altercation in an Ayr bar had something to do with his own omission, according to the manager.
Either way, it was apparent from the outset that Kilmarnock would not require a get out jail card for this encounter. Motherwell’s defensive weaknesses were exposed with just nine minutes on the clock.
Chris Chantler spotted Robbie Muirhead in plenty of space and delivered a neat pass to the teenager’s feet.
With no interception from the Well rearguard, he was able to pick his spot and dispatch beyond Dan Twardzik.
Josh Maggenis then found himself one-on-one with Twardzik, but the goalkeeper stood tall and managed to unsettle the big forward, who was then thwarted again with a shot from distance.
Hopes of a Motherwell comeback in the second half were shattered when they found themselves reduced to 10 men on 76 minutes.
Fraser Kerr received his marching orders for a high challenge on Jamie Hamill.
The points were in the bag for Killie two minutes later when Sammy Clingan sent the resultant free-kick bending round the wall and into the back of the net.
The defeat leaves Motherwell 10th in the Premiership after four games.
It’s not quite Armageddon just yet, but the promised land of second place must seem a long way off right now.
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