Former Rangers duo Derek McInnes and Kyle Lafferty are spearheading the Kilmarnock promotion charge as a pivotal Championship weekend points to potential promotion.
After the Rugby Park outfit had dismantled their Ayrshire rivals Ayr United 3-1, the pressure was heaped on Dick Campbell’s Arbroath side to respond.
However, the Red Lichties failed to do so effectively and went down 3-0 to Billy Dodds-led Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Combine this with automatic promotion outsiders Partick Thistle stumbling to a 2-1 defeat to Greenock Morton, and it was a successful weekend for Kilmarnock.
Now leapfrogging Arbroath to the top of the table, Kilmarnock sit on 53 points, Arbroath on 51 and Partick Thistle on 45 with a game in hand.
But at the very crux of it all is ex-Rangers midfielder Derek McInnes – who took over the side in January – and former Ibrox striker Kyle Lafferty – who returned to Rugby Park the same month.
Rangers duo McInnes and Lafferty ignite Kilmarnock promotion charge
Since taking over, the ex-Aberdeen boss has steered Killie to the summit of the Championship with the side hitting top form at the right time of the season.
Unbeaten in the last five in the Championship, Kilmarnock have won four of those games and now look the frontrunners to earn promotion through the automatic slot with seven games to play.
Kyle Lafferty has been a revelation since re-joining the club and his five goals in seven Championship matches has Kilmarnock looking at promotion.
But whilst Rangers fans might acknowledge their former players in McInnes and Lafferty, plenty won’t be impressed by the idea the Rugby Park surface could be back in the top flight.
Fans were jubilant after both Hamilton’s and Kilmarnock’s controversial all-weather surfaces were relegated last season with only Livingston retaining one in the top flight.
Former Ibrox attacker Jamie Murphy infamously injured his cruciate in a League Cup game at Rugby Park in 2018 and the pitch is regarded as one of the worst in Scottish professional football.
Meanwhile, Rangers and the SPFL have a rare moment of unity as the two both pledge their support to a very worthwhile cause.
