Luke Armstrong came on to put Kilmarnock to the swordSNS

Luke Armstrong came on to put Kilmarnock to the sword

Watch Motherwell v Kilmarnock highlights

14/05/25

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Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Kilmarnock suffered a heavy defeat in what seems set to be Derek McInnes' penultimate game as manager, as three late goals from Luke Armstrong and Callum Slattery gave Motherwell an ultimately comfortable Scottish Premiership victory.

Kilmarnock's red-card curse returned as Robbie Deas brought down Lennon Miller on the edge of the box and, although he was originally cautioned, the card was soon upgraded.

That is their ninth red in all competitions - albeit their first since December in a 1-0 loss to Hibernian - but they held on until the 77th minute.

That was when Stephen O'Donnell curled to the back post and Armstrong powered in a header to open the scoring.

Kilmarnock's strength was almost immediately sapped and they conceded another two within 10 minutes.

The second was the pick of the bunch, with Armstrong and Moses Ebiye linking up on the edge of the box before Slattery curled low into the bottom corner.

Armstrong's second was another sweet strike, lashing in from the edge of the box with too much power for Kieran O'Hara to stop.

Both teams remain where they are in the division, but only Motherwell can still catch Hearts in seventh.

McInnes' potential protracted exit turning sour

Before the game, Kilmarnock fans were canvassed for their opinion on McInnes' seemingly imminent move to Hearts.

While they were generally thankful for his efforts, the manner of his exit has prickled plenty.

Should he be in the dugout as he negotiates with another club? There is no right answer, but it is certainly not the best look when his side go on to lose 3-0.

McInnes would not have wanted that, of course. He will be fully committed to Kilmarnock right now if, perhaps, a little distracted.

His players don't have that excuse, and they didn't need one until the last 15 minutes. That was when the energy and legs, having defended with a man disadvantage for 50-odd minutes, started to wane.

In fact, in the first half they were largely the better team and forced Aston Oxborough into a couple of smart saves - mainly from a Danny Armstrong free-kick.

Their ill-discipline haunted them at the start of the season, forcing them to stumble out of the blocks and ultimately cost them a place in the top six. As the season winds to an end, it reared its ugly head again.

Now, attention turns to Rugby Park on Sunday. McInnes against his potential employers, Hearts. An awkward situation indeed.

Motherwell make extra man count... eventually

It took a long time for Motherwell to make the breakthrough, but once they got going, they didn't look back.

It has been hard for Michael Wimmer to know what his best XI is, given the large squad at his disposal, but it was Armstrong who got things going.

While the win keeps them in the hunt for seventh, one of the biggest cheers of the night was when Lennon Miller was substituted.

This is Motherwell's final home game of the season and it is widely expected that the 18-year-old will be away during the summer, given his lengthy list of suitors.

The Scottish Football Writers' Association's Young Player of the Year has outgrown Motherwell, and the home fans recognise that.

But there is a real bond between player and club, and he will be sorely missed. It was only right that he was given his moment of adulation.

What they said

Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer: "I'm very happy, very proud of the guys.

"It was not so easy, despite the red card. We needed patience, but the guys did really well. They were good in possession, it was only a matter of time until we scored.

"It's not our biggest strength - scoring goals. But they believe in themselves. They kept possession, played quickly, passed quickly, and deserved to win.

Kilmarnock assistant manager Paul Sheerin: "The manager made his point in the press before the game and in the lead up, so we know his stance on the situation. That's the only reason I'm stood here.

"Our structure was good, our shape was good, we nullified them to very few chances. Once we lose the first goal, we lose our discipline in terms of shape and lose a couple quickly after that."

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