A double strike from Jerome Varielle kept Kilmarnock's European dreams alive.
The game looked to be heading for a draw, when the Frenchman struck five
minutes from time, turning the ball into the net, after Jim Leighton could only
parry a Mark Roberts shot.
Although the game was bereft of the finest skills, it did have its moments of
drama - the most bizarre of these came in the 18th minute, when both managers
were ordered to the stand by referee Stuart Dougal.
Killie manager Bobby Williamson somehow invoked the wrath of Dons striker Mike
Newell, when he returned the ball into play. Newell was promptly booked, and
Williamson was asked to remove himself from the dugout.
When Aberdeen boss Alex Miller gave his opinion on the matter, he too was
invited to join Williamson in the stand.
When things eventually calmed down, Kilmarnock begain to assert their
authority on the game.
Varielle was not far off the target with a powerful shot from 25 yards that
rose just over Leighton's crossbar.
But there was no stopping the Frenchman in 33 minutes when he scored the first
of his pair. Mark Roberts split the Aberdeen defence with a delighful pass, and
Varielle stole in behind Derek Whyte to sweep the ball low past Leighton.
That was no more than Killie deserved at that stage and they could have had
another goal, when a dodgy decision by a linesman ruled Varielle offside.
But gradually the Dons edged their way back into the game and shocked the home
side with an equaliser in the dying minutes of the first half.
There seemed little danger when Rickie Gilles sent Billy Dodds clear on the
right side, but the little striker had other thoughts on his mind. He somehow
managed to squeeze the ball into the net off the post from the tightest of
angles.
The pace picked up after the interval, as both sides went in search of the
winner.
Leighton was the keeper under most pressure and he pulled off a couple of good
saves to deny the home forwards.
On 72 minutes, he stopped a shot by substitute Ally Mitchell low at his
right-hand post and he bettered that four minutes later when he touched a shot
by Alex Burke over the crossbar.
Then came that dramatic late winner that had the Killie fans on their feet.
Teams
Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, Kerr (McGowne 88), Lauchlan,
Montgomerie, Reilly, Nevin (Mitchell 70), Holt,
Roberts (Henry 89), Vareille, Burke.
Booked: Roberts, Mitchell.
Goals: Vareille 33, 85.
Aberdeen: Leighton, Buchan (O'Neil 62), Whyte, Rowson, Inglis,
Smith, Gillies, Jess, Newell, Dodds, Glass.
Subs Not Used: Miller, Anderson.
Booked: Inglis, Newell.
Goals: Dodds 44.
Att: 8,212
Ref: S Dougal (Glasgow).
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