Coefficient Watch: Kilmarnock Crash Out

After a successful start to the European campaign for Scotland, they got their big screw-up with Kilmarnock.

With the first round of European Qualifying Scotland gets an overall positive bump to the Coefficient by going 3-1, the problem is that one loss was Kilmarnock crashing out at home against a part-time Welsh team so lets start there.

Kilmarnock 0-2 Quay’s Nomads. (Nomads win 3-2 on aggregate) 

What a total disaster. Even I, the most pessimist of Scottish Football fans felt so confident after the first round that I declared Scotland would surely send all four teams through to the next round of qualifying and oh was I wrong. This is a colossal failure for Kilmarnock on so many levels.

First off is the basic fact that Kilmarnock, a fully professional team in the top division of Scottish Football who finished 3rd in the league last season and 5th the season before that, lost to a semi-pro Welsh team is terrible. No team in the top flight should’ve lost to this team, let alone one who had been as good as Kilmarnock.

Second off, Kilmarnock were in great position heading into this second leg! Winning the first leg 2=1 with those pair of away goals seeming to lock up the tie. All Killie had to do was avoid total collapse at home to move onto the next round.

Lastly, this European Summer was supposed to be the culmination of what could only be called a high-point for the club in a long time. Kilmarnock had their best points total in club history last season and qualified for European play for the first time since 2001 on the back of a pair of excellent seasons. Steve Clarke may have left to coach the national team, but even if his departure meant a decline in play this was supposed to be a last dance of sorts.

Seriously, imagine going nearly 20 years without a European appearance, having two excellent seasons and finishing with one of the best seasons in club history, only to lose to a part-time Welsh club 0-2 at home.

This does not bode well for Kilmarnock’s upcoming season.

Aberdeen 2 – Rovaniemi 1 (Aberdeen advance 4-2 on aggregate)

Aberdeen finished off a difficult tie with a close victory over Finnish side Rovaniemi in Lappland. Aberdeen entered the second leg with a 2-1 lead, which meant that the match was still very much up in the air for a potentially difficult road-trip. Aberdeen got off to a terrible start by allowing a goal just moments into the match, which put the goal difference tied at 2-2 with Rovaniemi having the advantage with the away goal.

Aberdeen would take the lead in the 26th minute from a penalty, and put he tie away for good with a 90th minute goal.

Advancing is a good result for Aberdeen and getting a victory in both legs gives the biggest boost to the Coefficient.

Celtic 2 – Sarajevo 1. (Celtic advance 5-2 on aggregate)

Old firm foes took care of business on the home leg of their tie with Sarajevo in Champions League Qualifying. The tie was largely in hand after winning the away leg 3-1. the lead was effectively 3 goals with the away goal advantage, and Celtic took fully care of business.

With Rangers advancing, even with the Killie disaster Europe is off to a good start for Scotland. Onward the Coefficient!