hay believes contribution made by forward this season has been key to securing his side’s place in the spl
Delighted captain hails goal machine Kyle as Kilmarnock saviour
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Garry Hay believes Kilmarnock would not have secured SPL safety without the goals of forward Kevin Kyle.
The 27-year-old attacker scored the winner against Caley Thistle to keep the Rugby Park side in the division, his seventh goal since joining the Ayrshire club from Coventry City in January. Killie captain Hay acknowledged Kyle’s contribution and even suggested he could claim a place in the Scotland squad if he maintains the same form.
He said: “Kevin has been the difference we haven’t gone to the last day.
“He has scored our last seven goals and you cannot put a price on that.
“If Kevin had not been here then we might not have got the amount of points and goals we did.
“I would like to think if he is doing well for Kilmarnock, and if we do well next season, then he will be looked at by Scotland manager George Burley.
“Kevin is something different because he is an old fashioned centre forward, he might do a job for Scotland but he has got to concentrate on doing well for us first.”
Kilmarnock travel to Motherwell on Saturday for the last game of the season knowing they do not have to worry about relegation.
Hay added: “It is a relief we are safe, it is not great when you are in that position where you are fighting for your survival.
“We have come through the other side and we are really pleased. I don’t envy any of the teams down there – we are just glad to get ourselves out of trouble.
“Last season we didn’t have a great season either and this one has been tough because there hasn’t been a Gretna in the SPL.
“If we can finish next week in eighth spot then it might give the manager some funds and get one or two players in for us next year.”
Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies added: “I am very relieved as it was a tough week for the players.
“There has not been a lot between the teams this season, and having five teams involved in the battle to avoid relegation doesn’t happen too often.
“I said I didn’t believe this team would be relegated.
“I thought we had the bottle and the character and the players have done it.”
