DEREK McInnes hailed his Kilmarnock players for clinching the Championship title - as they sunk the Arbroath fairytale with it.
Killie roared back to Scotland's top flight at the first time of asking after fighting from a goal down in Friday night's enthralling do-or-die clash with the part-timers. A James Craigen goal had put the Red Lichties dream well and truly on, but the favourites stormed the second-half.
And at the end of a Killie onslaught, Ash Taylor's equaliser and Blair Alston's last-minute winner had the home fans pouring onto the pitch and the Championship trophy lifted aloft in Chris Stokes' arms.
"It was important we had this occasion," McInnes, who took over from Tommy Wright with Killie struggling at the turn of the year, said. "We’ve only ever won two titles and we’ve never won one at Rugby Park. It was important that the fans saw the team delivering tonight.
"The players deserve so much credit as they could easily have rolled over and felt sorry for themselves.
Safe to say, they'll be enjoying their night in Kilmarnock. pic.twitter.com/PhdLToDhjs
— Jack Haugh (@JackMHaugh) April 22, 2022
"At half-time we tried to settle them down a bit. We came out and played and passed the ball. Even when the goal didn’t come we kept going. That’s the sign of a good team."
The former Aberdeen manager, who claimed Scotland's second tier for the second time, added: "I’m just happy for so many people. It’s not easy winning leagues and when you see the crowd turn up tonight, we were too anxious, too excitable in the first half.
“We asked the players to back themselves more after the break, have a bit of composure and I thought we dominated the start of the second half."
When McInnes arrived, Killie were trailing Arbroath and in danger of joining the likes of Hearts, Hibs and Rangers in spending an extra season in the second-tier. But just one defeat in 11 games saw Kilmarnock hit form when it mattered most.
“Normally you have to beat your closest competitors, you have to kill the chief," McInnes said of his opponents. “Arbroath have been the chiefs all season, they have been up there, terrific.
“When we came in Killie weren’t even looking convincing to be in the play-offs. But we have beaten Inverness here, Raith Rovers here and Partick here. All the teams round about us. It just left Arbroath and we needed to do it tonight."
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