On Sunday afternoon, Rangers snatched a late winner away at Rugby Park to end a long top flight winless streak in Ayrshire.
The Gers have struggled there in recent seasons and dropped a ridiculous 10 points against Killie in the league last season.
Matchwinner, Connor Goldson, received many of the plaudits, and rightly so. He showed great power to get away from Kirk Broadfoot before dispatching a powerful header.
However, another player who delivered when required was James Tavernier.
In a game of few clear cut chances, set pieces proved the difference. The likes of Goldson and Nikola Katic pose a considerable aerial threat, but they can’t be effective without quality service.
That’s what the skipper provided with his devilish out swinging corners in both the 16th and 91st minutes.
James Tavernier’s Rangers influence massive
Across the 2018/19 league season, Tav registered an incredible 14 assists. That was comfortably more than any other in the Gers squad and indeed, any other player in the Scottish top flight.
He’ll only be credited with one from this outing, but it appears he’s picking up from where he left off.
The narrow dimensions at Rugby Park didn’t suit his game and he struggled to get in behind on the overlap. Yet, he still managed to have a telling say on the outcome of the fixture.
The 27-year-old is regularly subject to criticism from the fans when things go wrong, but the truth is he is a critical part of Stevie G’s team.
If the Gers have one more thing to prioritise before the transfer window closes, it’s to hold on to their captain.
