Trying to block the shot wasn't the mistake here so it's weird he would get criticised for that, I agree. Just before that however his judgement lapsed as he tried to win a ball he was never going to which allowed Cole an easy turn and created space. Still, there was a lot of defending to do after this so it's not all his fault.
As for the goal, I've watched it eight or nine times and I'm not seeing any Connolly deflection. As far as I'm concerned the ball was hit straight at the keeper who's got a weak hand to hit, its bounced under him and up into the net. I don't see any deflection by Connolly.
Yeah but he was on the pitch so it's his fault.
Is his Rugby Park 'brainfart' (hate that word, better description is he slipped) 8 months ago going to condemn him to mockery forever, just as Col Donaldson's infamous airshot a few years earlier?
We love to mock.
Its not just one instance of a mistake that has cost us though and it seems to me that we are loosing points all too often with one common denominator! I dont know why Cols air shot was brought into this as i said at the time, in that instance, the ball should never have been thrown to him. But that doesnt take away from the fact that in other games, Col was making mistakes that were costing us. It wasnt acceptable then, so why should it be acceptable now?
Off the top of my head I can think of the following Connolly brain farts - St Mirren 2nd leg play off equaliser, St Johnstone first game of this season, Killie’s third goal back in September, Wednesday night v Motherwell. That’s just off the top of my head. Indirectly I can think of many instances where games have changed with him either on or off the park. Again off the top of my head I can recollect the 6-2 where we suddenly tightened up after he left the pitch, the Killie 1-1 away back in March where from being comfortable we were suddenly all over the place after he came on for Fuchs, etc etc. Added to this the undoubted improvements we have seen in his absence both last season with Watson/Reynolds and this season with Edwards/Reynolds. It’s not an agenda against Connolly - there is firm substantial evidence that he is just not good enough for what we need. Yes, he runs about a lot and is committed to the cause but then again so would I be if given the opportunity. Doesn’t mean I’d be any good though.