As well as providing us with a handy point, the game at the weekend also showed we don't seem to have downed tools. It wouldn't have been a huge surprise if we had with a trophy in the bag and nothing of note to play for in the league, but the players certainly seemed up for the fight on Sunday. Tomorrow night will show if it was a one off, we were just raising our game because we were playing Celtic or if we really do intend to finish the campaign on a positive note with a few more wins.
Games between ourselves and Killie have been relatively entertaining in the last few years. We both like to get the ball down and pass, with both Kenny Shiels and Danny Lennon seeming to have similar philosophies on how football should be played, so this could be a great game for neutrals. As we have a similar style of play to Killie it's perhaps no surprise our best results in recent seasons have come against them. With the split looming large - although no chance of us making the top six - we could do with another of those victories tomorrow to all but officially relegate Dundee.
While this may be relatively meaningless for us, it certainly isn't for Kilmarnock. They are currently sixth and a win tomorrow night would as good as secure their place in the top six with a game to spare. Therefore, they'll be fired up and going all out to get the three points. We have to be prepared to match them, to dig in and fight for thewin. We've only won twice in the league since the turn of the year and only twice on the road all season, so we could really do with putting those stats to bed ahead of the split.
If we're to do that we need to hope Gary Teale's old legs are fit enough for another game a few days after his last one. After being arguably our top performer at Hampden he was superb again on Sunday against Celtic, tearing their defenders apart again and again. It's a dramatic turnaround for a player I wouldn't have been too sorry to see leave last summer and there would be no better place for the former Ayr man to score his first SPL goal than at Rugby Park. We are a much better team when he, and Paul McGowan, are both on song and the sooner we can get them tied up on new deals the better.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see other changes in midfield. John McGinn had a good game before being subbed at the weekend and may be rested to avoid burnout, with Kenny McLean, Graham Carey, Dougie Imrie and new boy Sander Puri all waiting in the wings to replace him. In the weeks before the cup final we saw some rather unusual team selections from Danny Lennon for midweek matches but it would be a surprise to see a return to those tomorrow, so the likes of Sam Parkin, Lewis Guy and Lee Mair are probably going to have to make do with a place on the bench. Darren McGregor, David Barron and Thomas Reilly are all still out.
Kenny Shiels has been Kilmarnock boss for about two years now and I'm still not sure if he actually believes what he says half the time or it's just an act to take focus away from his team when they haven't done well. He has made some bizarre comments in the media, has accused SFA officials of making things up to get him into trouble (which wouldn't surprise me after that farcical refereeing display on Sunday) and acted as if his side had just won the league following their draw in Paisley just after the New Year before having a meltdown on Radio Scotland. All that means the attention is on him rather than his Kilmarnock side, who have been having a decent season in the league and look good to return to the top six after missing out last year.
If they are to do that they'll have to do it without Manuel Pascali. The skipper missed last year's League Cup triumph and is now out for the rest of the season after another serious injury. You have to feel for the Italian - although with his style of play a few opposition players will be thankful there's no danger of them being on the receiving end of one of his hard tackles. With Liam Kelly and Gary Harkins leaving in January Killie have seen a few changes in midfield, but the acquisition of ex Coventry midfielder Sammy Clingan should be a good bit of business. It remains to be seen whether Rabiu Ibrahim can do a job after hardly playing for Celtic in the first part of the season - but then Niall McGinn barely kicked a ball at Parkhead and look how he's done at Aberdeen this year! James Dayton is a tricky player but is missing through injury, but Borja Perez is still fit and is a real danger. A couple of Nigerians have come in lately but it seems neither Rueben Gabriel or Papa Idris is likely to be fit enough to play this season.
The main reason we only drew with Killie in January was because of the form of Cammy Bell. The goalie was in terrific form that day and made some stunning stops that ensured his side returned home with a point. Everyone at Rugby Park must have been delighted when he recovered from his early season injury as his replacements hadn't been very good. However, it looks as if he'll be leaving in the summer - although at this stage of his career he needs to have a good look at himself if he opts for Rangers' cash and division two football. Ex Buddie Jeroen Tesselaar has also had a few injury problems but if he plays he'll probably be in for a bit of abuse tomorrow. Younger players like Ross Barbour, Mark O'Hara and Rory McKeown have done well, while Mahamdou Sissoko will be relieved we no longer have Nigel Hasselbaink after being made to look rather foolish by the diminutive Dutchman last season. James Fowler and Garry Hay seem to have been about for ever and are both still doing a decent job.
Bell may not be the only Kilmarnock player who ends up at Ibrox next season. Kris Boyd returned to Rugby Park in February after being let go by the brilliantly named Portland Timbers and the general consensus is he's only keeping himself fit until Rangers' transfer embargo ends. He still prove a good signing - he may not have scored many goals in Turkey, England or America but he is the SPL's all time leading goalscorer. He's still to score since he returned to Rugby Park so you can probably guess what is likely to happen tomorrow! Even without him Shiels wasn't exactly short of attacking options, with Paul Heffernan in great form of late and Cillian Sheridan now back from injury. His spell out has meant the lesser spotted William Gross has been getting a game lately and has been doing fairly well.
Follow Mirren Mad on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mirrenmad
Follow Mirren Mad on Twitter @mirren_mad or http://www.twitter.com/mirren_mad