SNS GroupKilmarnock are heading to Hampden for a semi-final after a win over Dundee United in the first of this week’s League Cup quarterfinals at Rugby Park.
The Ayrshire side ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a Daniel Armstrong winner on Tuesday night ahead of the other three quarterfinal ties on Wednesday.
Before the game Derek McInnes had signalled his intent of turning Kilmarnock into a consistent cup team and he started with an attacking 3-5-2 starting line-up that had Kyle Lafferty partnering Christian Doidge in the front two.
And it was who Lafferty opened the scoring with a penalty after eight minutes of the game to put the home side 1-0 up.
The spot-kick was awarded after Liam Smith was deemed to have used his hand to block the initial shot from the Northern Ireland international.
It was the Killie forward’s fellow former Rangers player Glenn Middleton equalised just two minutes later when he curled a shot past Zach Hemming to make it 1-1.
The game was level at half-time and Tony Watt had the first real chance of the second 45 but his effort deflected off Middleton.
Dylan Levitt then had another chance to put the visitors ahead, but his shot bounced off of Watt before Hemmings easily gathered.
Kilmarnock also had an opportunity to take the lead when a shot from Armstrong flew wide of Dundee United goalkeeper Erikson’s post.
But the 24-year-old made sure with his second chance when he pounced to make it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go and put the home side within touching distance of a Hampden semi-final.
The rest of the quarter-final ties, including Motherwell vs Celtic, Rangers vs Dundee and Aberdeen vs Partick Thistle, will be played on Wednesday night.
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